&w=3840&q=100)
Bangladeshs Muhammad Yunus Calls For National Polls In April 2026 Amid Pressure
"The government has held discussions with all parties to organise the most free, fair, competitive and acceptable elections in history. In addition, after reviewing the ongoing reform activities related to justice, reform and elections, I am announcing to the people of the country today that the next national elections will be held on a day in the first half of April 2026," Yunus said in a televised address to the nation on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha on Friday.
Yunush said the interim government under his leadership took office with three key mandates - reform, justice and elections. "I believe that by the next Eid-ul-Fitr, we will be able to reach an acceptable point on reform and justice. Especially, all will be able to see visible progress on the trial of crimes against humanity – which is the government's collective responsibility towards the martyrs of the July mass uprising," he said.
During his address, Yunus also urged the people that this election should not only about peaceful elections but about building a 'New Bangladesh' as aspired by the students and the masses. "In this election, there will be only known parties. They will have their known symbols. But the voter has to find out who the candidates behind this symbol are to what extent they are ready to build a 'New Bangladesh'. How committed are they?" he said.
This marks a significant shift in Bangladesh's political landscape since the Awami League government, led by Sheikh Hasina, was unseated in August 2024. The BNP and allied parties have been pushing for elections to happen by December.
Meanwhile, the National Citizen Party, a new group formed by leaders of the July uprising, has insisted that elections only take place after necessary reforms are completed. Adding to the discussion, Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman stated on May 21 that national elections should indeed be held by this December.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


News18
an hour ago
- News18
Amit Malviya Questions Mamata Over 'You Work For State Govt' Remark: 'Threatening EC'
Last Updated: BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya criticized West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for allegedly threatening the Election Commission and relying on fake voters, undermining democracy. BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya on Monday criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her recent comments, accusing her of threatening the Election Commission. Malviya questioned Banerjee's remarks, saying, 'You work for the state government, not the EC." Malviya's comments underscore the BJP's ongoing criticism of Mamata Banerjee's governance and her party's stance on electoral processes. The party alleged that Banerjee's remarks are aimed at shielding her party's alleged reliance on fake voters, including Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants. 'Mamata Banerjee knows that without bogus votes, TMC will collapse. This isn't just political arrogance — it's a direct assault on India's Constitution and democracy!" Malviya posted on X. This comes after the West Bengal CM emphasised that the Election Commission's role is crucial after the election dates are announced, but before and after that, it's the state government's responsibility. After the election also it is the state government. Hence, remember you all work for the state government. She accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of beginning the process of training the booth-level officers (BLOs) in the state without giving prior intimation to the state government. She also accused a section of the District Magistrates of allotting duties for such BLO training without informing their higher authorities. 'I did not even know that they took 1000 people from West Bengal for training in Delhi. The District Magistrate should have at least informed us. They did not inform me, fine, but they could inform the Chief Secretary (CS). The Booth Level Officers who have the waiting list, I'm requesting them to ensure that nobody's name goes off the list. Always remember that Election Commission's role is crucial after the election dates are announced, but before and after that, it's the state government's responsibility," she said. view comments First Published: July 28, 2025, 17:55 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


Scroll.in
an hour ago
- Scroll.in
Bihar voter roll revision should be aimed at mass inclusion, not exclusion: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Monday said the Election Commission should focus on ' mass inclusion ' rather than 'en masse exclusion' while revising the electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections, The Hindu reported. The court reiterated its July 10 directions asking the poll body to consider adding Aadhaar cards and voter identity cards to the list of valid documents for the ongoing exercise. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the Election Commission's decision to exclude the two documents from the list of acceptable proof of citizenship for those whose names did not appear in the 2003 electoral roll. In an affidavit filed on July 21, the poll body maintained that Aadhaar and ration cards could not be included as standalone valid documents. It had argued that such documents can be obtained through fraudulent means, which was why they were not sufficient. In response to this, the court said that any of the documents enlisted by the poll body could be forged and questioned the rationale behind excluding Aadhaar and voter identity card from its list, Bar and Bench reported. 'Include these two documents,' the legal news outlet quoted the bench as saying. 'Tomorrow you may see not only Aadhaar but out of 11 they can also be forged. That's a separate issue…Please include Aadhaar.' The revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar was announced by the Election Commission on June 24. As part of the exercise, persons whose names were not on the 2003 voter list will need to submit proof of eligibility to vote. This means that 2.9 crore out of the state's 7.8 crore voters – or about 37% of the electors – will have to submit documentary evidence. Voters born before July 1, 1987, must show proof of their date and place of birth, while those born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, must also submit documents establishing the date and place of birth of one of their parents. Those born after December 2, 2004, will need proof of date of birth for themselves and both parents. If the officers are satisfied with the details provided, the voters will be re-enrolled to a new voter list by electoral registration officers. If not, they will be removed from the voter lists. A draft roll will be published on August 1 and the final roll will be out on September 30. On July 2, eleven INDIA bloc parties told the Election Commission that the special intensive revision of Bihar's electoral rolls risked disenfranchising more than 2.5 crore voters, as they may not be able to produce the necessary documents. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on July 6 defended the exercise, claiming that the exercise had to be carried out as no one was satisfied with the current voter rolls. 65 lakh names may be removed: EC The Election Commission on Sunday said that 91.6% electors in Bihar had submitted their enumeration forms for the special intensive revision of the state's electoral rolls by the end of the first phase of the exercise on Friday. The poll panel said that more than 7.2 crore out of the state's 7.8 crore electors had submitted the forms by the deadline, indicating 'overwhelming participation'. This would mean that the remaining 65 lakh names registered in the July 2025 list may not make it to the draft rolls to be published on August 1. The poll body also reiterated that the draft electoral roll to be published on August 1 was not the final voter list, adding that a month's time would be given to include eligible electors and exclude those ineligible.


New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Ensure No Name is Excluded from Voters' List: Mamata's Message to BLOs
Taking to X, National convenor of BJP's IT cell, Amit Malviya said, 'West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is now openly threatening Election Commission officials — saying they work for the state and shouldn't follow directions from the National Election Commission! Why this desperation? To shield her illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya vote bank.' 'She's brazenly opposing a clean, verified voter list — because TMC's survival depends on fake voters. Mamata Banerjee knows that without bogus votes, TMC will collapse. This isn't just political arrogance — it's a direct assault on India's Constitution and democracy!' he alleged. The Chief Minister also asked the BLOs to keep an eye on the names of long-time voters in the state so that they are not left out of the voter list. Giving an example she said, 'Suppose a boy goes on a trip for four days, will you remove his name? Does it happen?' The Chief Minister also advised the District Magistrates to "keep their eyes and ears open", while expressing dissatisfaction with their work. 'The District Magistrates should keep their eyes and ears open. Many times, I see District Magistrates are giving responsibility to someone below them. 1000 people have been taken to Delhi for training. The District Magistrates should have told me or the Chief Secretary. But they did not do that,' she said in the meeting. After Bihar, the Election Commission may start the SIR exercise in West Bengal too. Although the ECI has not made any formal announcement on the date of commencement of this exercise in West Bengal, a section of the BLOs who will be associated with this work has been trained in phases. The training was conducted in Delhi on July 17-18. Similarly, a training programme was organized at Nazrul Mancha in Kolkata yesterday. The Chief Minister said that the state was not aware of the ECI training programme in Delhi. Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday alleged that 'the ECI is working as a BJP puppet to favour one party'. He said, 'They are torturing Bengalis in the name of SIR. Yesterday in Bihar, a dog's name was used to issue a residential certificate, and that was used to generate a voter ID card. That means people's right to vote is being taken away, and dogs are getting the certificates.' Meanwhile, in the administrative meeting, West Bengal Chief Minister also raised the issue of "torture" and "harassment" of migrant workers from West Bengal in other states. She ordered to bring back the migrant workers of Bengal who want to return to the state. She asked Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to sit with Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam and West Bengal Minister Malay Ghatak on this issue. Banerjee informed that about 22 lakh migrant workers of the state are working in different states. She said that they will be given 100 days of work when they return to the state. Ration cards and swasthya sathi cards will also be issued to them.