Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has assured the United States that the country’s general elections will take place as scheduled on February 12, despite rising political unrest following the killing of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
Yunus made the commitment during a telephone conversation with Sergio Gor, the US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia. He said the interim administration was determined to restore democratic rights and ensure a free, fair and peaceful electoral process.
“The nation is eagerly waiting to exercise their voting rights,” Yunus said, underlining that the government would not allow violence or intimidation to derail the polls.
According to Yunus, the discussion with the US envoy covered bilateral trade and tariff negotiations, Bangladesh’s democratic transition, the February election timeline, and the impact of Sharif Osman Hadi’s killing, which has triggered protests and heightened political tensions across the country.
Yunus also claimed that supporters of the ousted regime were spending large sums of money to destabilise the situation and disrupt the election process, allegedly encouraging unrest from abroad. He said the interim government was prepared to confront any attempts at sabotage.
“We have roughly 50 days to go before the election. We want to hold a free, fair and peaceful election and make it remarkable,” Yunus told the envoy.
The assurance comes as political groups such as Inqilab Moncho have demanded justice for Hadi ahead of the elections, with calls for an independent judicial probe, including possible involvement of foreign investigative agencies.
Despite the volatile atmosphere, Yunus reiterated that the interim administration would stay focused on conducting elections on time and steering Bangladesh towards a democratic transition.
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