September 12, 2025
DHAKA – Terming the forthcoming national polls a “foundational election”, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday said the government has no alternative but to hold it in the first half of February.
“The upcoming national election, scheduled for next February, is not just an ordinary election but a foundational election that will determine the future path of Bangladesh,” he said at a meeting of the National Consensus Commission, held at the state guest house Jamuna, according to a press release issued by the Chief Adviser’s Office.
“Therefore, keeping the election in mind, we must finalise the basic reforms. At the same time, we must remember that we have no alternative but to hold elections in the first half of February,” he added.
Yunus said reform is one of the three main mandates of the incumbent interim government. Thus, the issue of the July Charter must be considered with the same level of importance as elections and justice, he continued.
The two-hour-long meeting discussed the proposals put forward by the Consensus Commission regarding the implementation of the July Charter, as well as the proposals from political parties in this regard.
Consensus Commission members told the meeting that the commission would soon submit its report to the interim government, the press release read.
The National Consensus Commission will meet again with the political parties next Sunday to take this issue forward.
Consensus Commission Vice-Chairman Prof Ali Riaz, Commission members Justice Md Emdadul Haque, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Badiul Alam Majumder, Md Ayub Mia and Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor Monir Haider were present at the meeting.
Interim government advisers Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan, Asif Nazrul, Syeda Rizwana Hasan and National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman were also present.