When will Bangladesh hold elections? '6 months too little time, 2 years will be stretching it'

Bangladesh has been under an interim government for almost three months now. The current administration, led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, took over the country’s affairs after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted following a popular student uprising.

But India’s neighbour is due for an election that will establish a permanent and more stable government. According to a report by the Times of India, an official from Yunus’ office has said that the leader has indicated that the polls will be held in “little over a year”.

When will B’desh vote next?

Shafiqul Alam, the press secretary representing chief adviser Yunus’s office, said, “No timeline has yet been worked out.” The official added that the Yunus-led government will only be in a position to declare the dates of elections after the six commissions, which have been appointed to suggest reforms, submit their reports on December 31, 2024.

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When asked about an exact timeline of the general elections, Alam said, “Six months would be very little time for making the preparations and two years would be stretching it,” adding that they will “certainly” be held in “less than two years.”

Sources have told the news outlet that Hasina’s Awami League, which won the 2024 general elections, will be out of the next polling process.

‘No elections until reforms’

Meanwhile, earlier this month, Yunus said that Bangladesh would not hold elections until reforms are made in the country.

“None of us are aiming at staying for a prolonged time,” Mr. Yunus said of his caretaker government, in an interview published by the Prothom Alo newspaper.

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“Reforms are pivotal,” he added. “If you say, hold the election, we are ready to hold the election. But it would be wrong to hold the election first.”

What are the reform commissions?

Last month, the chief advisor announced the creation of six commissions headed by eminent citizens of the country.

These commissions are tasked with suggesting changes in six key sectors including the constitution, the electoral system, the judiciary, the police, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and public administration.

With inputs from agencies