Bangladesh has moved up the date for its general elections from April 2026 to February after a barrage of criticism over the delays in the country’s return to democracy after the ouster of the authoritarian former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, in August 2024. Officially, however, the interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, said it moved up the date to ensure the new government is in office before the start of Ramazan.
The interim government has cited the need for reforms after over a decade of Hasina’s authoritarian rule eroded many institutions, including the civil service, judiciary and election authorities. Yunus has also replied to criticism from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and others by insisting that thorough preparation is essential to avoid repeating past “flawed elections” that entrenched autocracy — it is worth noting that since the fall of the military regime in 1990, only BNP chief Khaleda Zia and Awami League chief Hasina have served as elected prime ministers.
Analysts have also noted that for elections to be competitive and fair, the Awami League should not be completely excluded. Accountability is vital, and those involved in the violent repression of protests in 2024, or any other crimes against the people of Bangladesh, should face the music, but excluding the entire party, rather than only its criminal elements, risks disenfranchising millions of its supporters. Meanwhile, over 7 million overseas Bangladeshis are complaining about the lack of feasible voting mechanisms for them, despite promises of reform.
Whatever happens, it is becoming increasingly likely that the improvement in ties with Pakistan will continue, partly due to the genuine earnest efforts of both countries’ incumbent governments, and because of India’s refusal to hand over Hasina to stand trial for murdering thousands of her critics, including at least 1,400 people, during the 2024 protests.
