Staff Reporter:
The next general election is likely to be held on 12 February next year as Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman reached a consensus during a meeting in London on Friday.
The outcome came in a joint statement following a meeting held between the chief adviser and the BNP acting chairman in London on Friday.
Khalilur Rahman, the high representative to the chief adviser, read out the joint statement during a press conference held at The Dorchester hotel on Park Lane.
“Their meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere. Tarique Rahman proposed to the chief advisor to hold the elections before Ramadan next year. BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia also thinks it would be better if the election is held at that time,” he said, quoting the statement.
In response to the call, the chief adviser mentioned that he has earlier announced that the national election will be held in the first half of April next year, Khalilur said.
“If all preparations are completed, the election could be held in the week before the start of Ramadan in 2026 and in that case, sufficient progress on reforms and justice would need to be achieved by that timeframe,” Khalilur quoted the chief adviser as saying.
During the meeting, Tarique welcomed the chief adviser’s optimism and extended his party’s gratitude to him.
The chief adviser, in turn, also thanked Tarique for such a fruitful discussion, read the joint statement.
The ongoing political unrest centred on the national election over the past few months has somehow eased following the announcement of a tentative election timeline in the first half of April next year.
However, BNP, now a major political party, did not fully accept it.
In this context, the Yunus-Tarique meeting emerged as a major focal point in politics and a potential step toward resolving the crisis.
