Yunus announcement of elections in Bangladesh in April 2026 is 'controversial' : Ex High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Veena Sikri

As Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus announces election in April 2026, former High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Ms Veena Sikri says, 

"I think this announcement is controversial due to some reasons — some political parties have opposed it, even BMP themselves wanted it earlier by December. 

He has taken this decision without consulting the parties. He has talked about reforms, but he is not a constitutional govt, so there is no reason for such a govt to do reforms. 

"They must have early elections, and then the elected govt will look at what reforms they want. The Army has not said anything so far about the decision. 

The most important thing is how the elections will be conducted, as he cannot head the caretaker govt because in his govt there are political party representatives, including representatives of Islami Andolan Bangladesh."

Former PMs of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia’s parties Awami League and BNP, respectively, slammed the country’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s Eid address in which he announced that the country will hold polls in April 2026.

After completing 10 months in power, Yunus used his Eid address to announce that the country would go to the polls in April next year.

This will be the first national election in Bangladesh after a violent protest in the country toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government. Shortly after Yunus’s address to the nation, ex-PM Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) condemned the move.  

Following a meeting of BNP’s national standing committee, chaired by acting chairman Tarique Rahman, the party said that Yunus is trying to delay elections. 

“The chief adviser’s Eid address went beyond the traditional festive message and ventured into political issues unrelated to the Interim Government’s stated three-point mandate," the party said in a statement following the meeting.