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The chief advisor to the interim government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has said that, broadly speaking, the election time can be scheduled between the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026.

Dr. Muhammad Yunus said this in his address to the nation on Monday (December 16) on the occasion of the first great victory day after the student uprising. He addressed the nation at 10 am. His speech was broadcast on Bangladesh Television and BTV World.

Dr. Yunus said in his address, ‘I have repeatedly appealed to you to complete all the major reforms and organize the elections. However, due to political consensus, if, I repeat, we have to complete the elections on the basis of accurate preparation of the voter list with a few reforms, then it may be possible to hold the elections by the end of 2025. And if we add to this the expected level of reforms in the context of the electoral process and the recommendations of the Electoral Reform Commission and based on the national consensus, then it may take at least another six months of additional time. Broadly speaking, the election date can be set between the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026.’

In his speech, Dr. Yunus spoke about various issues including elections, the report of the Commission on Disappearances, the white paper, the banking system, money laundering, the formation of the consensus commission, and the reform process. In addition to giving a glimpse of the election timing, Dr. Yunus expressed his hope for the voters. He said, “My sincere wish is that the first-time young voters create a tradition by voting in close to 100 percent in this election.”

Dr. Yunus said, “We need to ensure that the names of all those who have become eligible to vote in the last 15 years are included in the voter list. This is a big task. After the student uprising, there is no room for complacency. After a long time, many young people will vote for the first time in their lives. In the past, they were deprived of that right and joy. Therefore, their voting in this election will be a memorable event. All arrangements must be made to make this experience smooth. I appeal to the Election Commission, all social institutions and political parties, that we all take up various creative programs to achieve this goal.”

Urging voters to vote, Dr. Yunus said, “From now on, we can create a tradition that first-time voters will ensure close to 100 percent voting in all centers, including local elections. If we can ensure this, no government in the future will dare to take away people’s voting rights.” He also said that in addition to new voters, it is necessary to ensure that those whose names were supposed to be on the voter list are on the voter list or not. Special attention should be paid to removing fake voters from the list.

Dr. Yunus said, “This time, we want to ensure that expatriate Bangladeshis vote. We have heard assurances about this many times in the past. We want to ensure that this is implemented for the first time during the tenure of this government. A reliable system must be made for this.”

Historical event

Dr. Yunus described his meeting with 19 ambassadors of the European Union as a “historic event.” He said that a few days ago, he had a meeting with 19 ambassadors of the European Union. This is the first time that ambassadors of almost all the countries of the European Union came together in Dhaka and met with the government. Most of the embassies of the countries are in Delhi. Many of them have never been to Dhaka before. This is a historic event. He further said that they came together in Dhaka just to give the message that the European Union is ready to provide maximum support and cooperation to Bangladesh.

Dr. Yunus said that he informed them about the interim government’s reform initiatives and the democratic election process. He said that they have expressed their full support for it and will provide maximum cooperation to the government.

Dr. Yunus said, “I have also informed the diplomats of the European Union about the propaganda and misinformation against Bangladesh. I have requested those European countries whose visa offices are in New Delhi to bring their visa offices to Dhaka or any other neighboring country. Apart from this, I have discussed increasing the level of their cooperation in the economic and social fields.”

Welcoming the President of East Timor

The Chief Advisor welcomed the President of East Timor, José Ramos Horta, who is visiting Bangladesh. Dr. Yunus said, “In this month of victory, to congratulate our people’s uprising and to join our Victory Day, the President of East Timor, Nobel Peace Prize laureate José Ramos Horta, has come to Dhaka. He led his country’s liberation war. Our country’s liberation war inspired him. East Timor became an independent state in 2002. On behalf of the nation, we welcome him to join us in our national celebration.’
Economic recovery and banking system

Dr. Yunus also commented that confidence has been created at home and abroad regarding the success of the economy. In this regard, he said, ‘The interim government has been able to establish confidence in the future of our economy with all donor institutions, including the World Bank. They have come forward to establish new financial relations with us with new initiatives and new enthusiasm.’

The Chief Advisor also spoke about the economy and banking system. He said that the restrictions imposed on depositors to withdraw money from banks are no longer in place.

Dr. Yunus said that when the interim government took office, the economy was in a state of collapse. This situation has changed dramatically in the last four months. Confidence and discipline are returning to the banking system. No bank has had to be closed. No matter how weak the bank is, arrangements have been made to keep it alive.

Dr. Yunus said, “In addition to organizing elections and reforms, you have given us many responsibilities. These include restoring the economy and improving the living standards of the people. We have inherited a devastated economy from the fascist government. Our foreign exchange reserves have reached rock bottom.” He also said, “The export earnings in November 2024 were 4.12 billion US dollars, which is 15.63 percent more than the previous month. Overall, exports reached 16.11 billion US dollars during July-November 2024. Last year, export earnings were 14.34 billion US dollars in the same period. The growth in export earnings in this quarter as of the year was 12.34 percent. Foreign exchange reserves have reached 19 billion dollars. Through these, our economy has started to turn around. The situation is improving.’

Dr. Yunus mentioned that garment workers are one of the driving forces of the Bangladesh economy. He said that it has been decided to increase their annual wages by 9 percent. This has been determined based on discussions with the labor union and the owners, considering the issue of inflation.

Keeping inflation and commodity prices under control

Dr. Yunus also said, ‘The government is working sincerely to control inflation. I have no hesitation in admitting that we have not achieved the desired success in this regard yet. However, I believe that inflation will come down soon. The prices of some products have increased in the market in the last few months. We are trying to reduce the prices of goods by increasing supply, reducing import duties, reducing the violence of middlemen and monitoring the market. Extortion in the transport sector has not been completely stopped yet. If this is possible, we hope that the prices of goods will come down further. We sympathize with your suffering. However, we know that the government’s job is not just to express sympathy; we are making every effort to reduce your suffering.’

Dr. Yunus seeks everyone’s cooperation to keep the prices of goods bearable during the upcoming holy Ramadan. He said, ‘We have already talked to the traders. They have promised us that there will be no shortage of goods in the market. If anyone tries to create an artificial shortage for the sake of excess profit, we will crack down on him with a strong hand. We are working to launch an alternative agricultural market to stop the violence of the market syndicate.’

Trial of dictator and his associates is progressing

The trial of the fallen dictator and his associates involved in the massacre is progressing, said Dr. Yunus. He said that for this, the International Criminal Tribunal Act has been amended. To ensure transparency in the trial process, the accused have been given the opportunity to appoint foreign lawyers. They will get all kinds of opportunities to defend themselves.’

Dr. Yunus also said, ‘The trial process has been kept open for journalists, human rights activists and other observers. Anyone who wants to will have the opportunity to record any part of the trial. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan recently met me. He has agreed to train ICT prosecutors and other staff and promised to help raise ICT to international standards. Separately, we have informed him that we will file a case against the genocide perpetrators in the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.’

Alleging that efforts are being made to thwart the people’s uprising, Dr. Yunus said, ‘The defeated forces are unable to accept their defeat. They are continuing their efforts in various ways, spending huge amounts of money every day from inside and outside the country to thwart the people’s uprising. They have thousands of crores of laundered money in their possession. Their beneficiaries are spread everywhere. If our unity remains intact, they will not be able to thwart our goal.’

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