Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman yesterday said the national election can be held only after basic reforms, the trial for crimes against humanity committed in July, and the establishment of a proper election system.

BNP leaders believe that the government is trying to cater to the interests of multiple political groups, which may explain the conflicting statements.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus in an interview with BBC published yesterday said the election would be held between December 2025 and March next year, depending on how quickly the government could institute reforms necessary for free and fair elections.

The government has assured the BNP of working to hold the national election by December this year, the party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said yesterday. 

He added that his party would in no way accept any local government elections before the national election

The BNP is set to take to the streets demanding general elections by the end of this year and protesting the rising prices of essentials, said several standing committee members of the party.

The BNP yesterday demanded that the interim government arrange the next national election by August this year in the country’s best interest.

The BNP wants the national election by the middle of this year and local government polls afterwards.

There is a public perception that the interim government is intentionally delaying the election process, said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus yesterday said reforms without consensus and elections without reforms would not be able to take Bangladesh forward.

The Electoral Reform Commission is likely to recommend an investigation into irregularities during the last three national polls held under ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Leaders of the 12-party alliance, who previously organised joint movements with the BNP against the former Awami League government, have expressed support for the BNP’s position on holding the next parliamentary elections by 2025.

The US yesterday welcomed plans by Bangladesh's interim leader to hold elections next year or in early 2026

The BNP expressed its disappointment yesterday over the absence of a specific date for the next parliamentary polls in the chief adviser’s recent address to the nation.

The next parliamentary polls are expected to take place by June 30, 2026, said Shafiqul Alam, the press secretary to the chief adviser.

Focus on parliamentary elections now, no immediate plans for local elections

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus yesterday said it may be possible to hold the next general election at the end of 2025 or in the first half of 2026.

BNP leaders welcomed Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus’s announcement on the timeline of national elections but urged a clear and actionable roadmap.

Business leaders, economists and professionals have emphasised that an elected government is essential for restoring confidence in the business community, stabilising law and order, and revitalising the business and investment climate.

Earlier, Yunus said it may be possible to hold the next national elections at the end of 2025 or the first half of 2026