Bangladesh鈥檚 interim government chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Friday agreed that the next general elections could be held in mid-February 2026.
The two leaders reached the agreement during a meeting between them at The Dorchester hotel in London, where Yunus was staying as part of his four-day official visit to the United Kingdom.
Although the chief adviser arrived in London on June 10 to strengthen the Bangladesh鈥揢K relations, his meeting with Tarique had become the central focus of the visit.
Tarique proposed to the chief adviser that the general elections be held before next year鈥檚 Ramadan, a month of fasting for the Muslims, adding that BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was also of the view that it would be preferable to hold the elections during that time, according to a joint statement issued in London following the meeting.
In response, the chief adviser said that the elections could take place in the week before the start of Ramadan in 2026, provided all preparations were completed by that time.
鈥業n that case, sufficient progress in reforms and trials will need to be made by that time,鈥� the joint statement quoted Yunus as saying.
Ramadan will begin in the second half of February 2026.
The statement said that Tarique welcomed the chief adviser鈥檚 position regarding the issue and thanked him on behalf of the party. It also stated that the chief adviser thanked Tarique for what he described as a fruitful discussion.
On June 6, Yunus announced that the general elections would be held in the first half of April 2026 鈥� a time frame immediately聽 rejected by the BNP, which remained firm on its demand for polls no later than December 2025.
Following the meeting, a joint press briefing was held where national security adviser Khalilur Rahman read out the statement.
BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury was also present.
Khalilur said that the meeting between the chief adviser and the BNP acting chairman was held in a very cordial atmosphere.
At the briefing, referring to the meeting, Amir Khasru said, 鈥榃e are satisfied.鈥� Khalilur said, 鈥業f we were not satisfied, there would have been no point in issuing a joint statement.鈥�
Khalilur said that both parties clearly stated their positions in the joint declaration and that they expected the Election Commission would announce an election date soon.
Amir Khasru said that the meeting initially took place between delegations from both sides, and afterwards, the two leaders held a one-on-one meeting and discussed matters at length.
Describing reforms as a continuous process, he said that the BNP agreed that reforms would take place based on consensus and the reforms would not be completed fully before the general elections.
He said that discussions were ongoing and there was an understanding about formulating a July Charter related to reforms based on a broad political consensus.
Khalilur and Amir Khasru also held a meeting on the sidelines at the venue as per a photo of the meeting was shared by the chief adviser鈥檚 press wing.
According to sources, the meeting included discussions on the July Proclamation, the Chattogram Port, and the security of Tarique, who has been staying in London since 2008, upon his return to Bangladesh.
The chief adviser discussed the issue of appointing a foreign company to operate the New Mooring Container Terminal at the Chattogram port, which Tarique listened to attentively without making any comments.
Yunus also discussed the need for issuing the July Proclamation, highlighting the interests and security of the students who led the successful mass uprising in August 2024 that ended the 15-year dictatorship of Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League.
Sources close to the meeting said that the issue of security of Tarique was discussed, and the chief adviser assured that necessary measures would be taken to ensure his safety in Bangladesh.
After the meeting in London, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that the agreement between Tarique and the chief adviser to hold general elections in mid-February was a good news for the country鈥檚 democracy.
Speaking at a briefing at the BNP鈥檚 Gulshan office in the capital Dhaka shortly after the meeting, Fakhrul described the meeting outcome as a turning point, saying that the joint statement announcing the proposed election time frame had brought clarity removing uncertainty over the issue.
He said that the meeting demonstrated the people of Bangladesh could unite in times of need and that the country鈥檚 leaders were capable of providing effective leadership.
Professor Yunus took charge as the chief adviser to the interim government on August 8, 2024, after the fall of the authoritarian regime of Sheikh Hasina on August 5 in a student-led mass uprising.
