Yunus reaffirms polls will be free, fair and festive

Staff Reporter :

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday reiterated his government’s pledge to hold the next general election in early February, assuring that the polls would be “free, fair, transparent and festive.”

“The general election will be peaceful, fair, transparent and festive,” Prof Yunus told a delegation of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) led by Mounir Satouri during a meeting at the State Guest House Jamuna, according to his Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder.

He reaffirmed that the interim government was determined to proceed with the election on schedule despite attempts by “certain forces” to delay it. “We have already announced the timeline for the election. It will be held in early February, just before Ramadan,” he said.

The Chief Adviser pointed to rising public enthusiasm, particularly among young voters, as university student body elections have resumed after long gaps-some after more than three decades. He expressed confidence that youth participation would reach record levels since many will be voting for the first time in more than 15 years.

“Bangladesh will witness a new beginning through the February election. It will mark a new chapter in our history, a new journey for the nation,” Prof Yunus said. The hour-long discussion covered the government’s reform initiatives, the European Union’s role in supporting Bangladesh’s democratic transition, and the humanitarian challenges of hosting more than one million Rohingya refugees.

The MEPs welcomed the developments, with one lawmaker praising the interim government’s “amazing” efforts over the past 14 months. A Dutch member of the delegation added that Bangladesh may be among the rare countries where “things are moving in the right direction.”

Prof Yunus thanked the EU for its longstanding support and urged increased assistance for the Rohingya camps, particularly funding to reopen schools recently closed due to aid shortages.
Lutfey Siddiqi, Special Envoy to the Chief Adviser, also briefed the delegation on labour reforms undertaken by the interim administration, stressing their importance for strengthening Bangladesh-EU relations.