Dhaka, August 26: Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Monday confirmed that the interim administration will relinquish power after the country elects a new government in February 2026, setting the stage for the nation’s next political transition.
“We are prepared for another historic transition. The nation is stable and ready for elections. The polls will be held in the first half of February 2026, after which an elected government will take charge,” Yunus said while addressing an international conference on the Rohingya crisis in Cox’s Bazar.
The announcement comes a year after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5, 2024, following mass protests and a student-led uprising. Hasina now faces trial in absentia before the International Crimes Tribunal on multiple charges.
Bangladesh’s Election Commission has already scheduled the general elections for the first week of February. Last week, Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman pledged that the military would support the interim government in ensuring free and fair polls.
The political landscape has shifted dramatically since the disbanding of the Awami League under an executive order by the Yunus administration. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has emerged as the dominant force.
Adding to the contest is the National Citizen Party (NCP), a new political outfit formed by activists from Students Against Discrimination (SAD), the group that spearheaded last year’s anti-Hasina protests. The NCP is believed to have ties with Islamist factions, including Jamaat-e-Islami, sparking concerns among political observers.
