Bangladesh to Hold National Election in Early April 2026, Says Premier Yunus

Photo : Reuters

Bangladesh will hold a national election in the first half of April 2026, the country’s acting leader said on Friday. This announcement comes after months of temporary government rule following protests in 2024 that forced then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to leave the country.

Since August, the country of 173 million people has been led by Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Hasina left for India after large, violent protests against her government took place.

Yunus’s government has also faced problems recently. Last month, there were protests about low wages and the way some government workers were fired without long investigations.

Speaking to the nation, Yunus said, "After looking at the ongoing reforms, I am telling the people that the next national election will be held sometime in the first half of April 2026." He added that the election commission will share more details about the voting process when the time is right. Yunus is not connected to any political party and said he does not want to run in the election.

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Opposition parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), have been asking for elections to happen sooner. They warned that if voting was delayed past December, there would be instability and many people would be unhappy.

The BNP leader and former prime minister, Khaleda Zia, was cleared of corruption charges in January. This means she can take part in the upcoming election.

Sheikh Hasina’s party, the Awami League, was banned from taking part in the election after the election commission suspended their registration last month.

Before this, Yunus’s government also banned all activities of the Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism Act. This happened after protests that the government said threatened the country’s safety.

Hasina is known for improving the country’s economy but has also been accused of violating human rights and limiting freedom of speech. She won her fourth term in 2024, but many main opposition leaders were either in jail or had fled the country, leading to a boycott of the vote by major opposition parties.