THE remark of the chief election commissioner, AMM Nasir Uddin, that the commission is making preparations for the national elections with two time frames in mind, February and April, appears confusing, especially after the meeting of the chief adviser to the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, with the acting chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Tarique Rahman, in London on June 13. Both the government, which had stood its ground for the elections in the first fortnight of April 2026 and the political parties, majorly the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which stood their ground for the elections by this December, have resolved that the elections could be held in mid-February 2026 before Ramadan would begin in the second fortnight that month. This was a welcome concession as it resolved for the time being the problem of confidence that earlier surfaced between the government and the political parties centring on the time frame for the general elections. The resolution created aspirations in a significant portion of the citizens that the next elections would be held in mid-February 2026.
The February time frame for the elections that has been resolved has, however, some ifs and buts. The elections could take place in the week before Ramadan in 2026 provided all preparations were made by then and sufficient progress were made in the democratic reforms of the state and in the justice and accountability of the crimes committed by the Awami League government, toppled on August 5, 2024, and its people during the July鈥揂ugust 2024 uprising. The progress envisaged in all likelihood appears achievable. Now that the chief election commissioner has made such a remark when journalists on July 1 asked him about the likely time frame for the elections, especially after a recent meeting between him and the chief adviser, is altogether confusing. And, while such a remark of the chief election commissioner could create confusion among the political parties and the people who are looking forward to the general elections in February, this could also be viewed as a ploy for the deferral of the elections. The chief election commissioner, or the Election Commission for that matter, should stay focused on the February time frame for the elections and make all the preparations needed to conduct the elections by then. The commission should, rather, make the preparations to hold the elections with the February time frame in mind.
With two time frames for the elections, issues would certainly be difficult and troublesome for the commission to shore up. The chief election commissioner should, therefore, stop making any confusing remarks and the commission should make preparations with the February time frame in mind.
