December 16, 2024: Bangladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, announced on Monday that general elections will be held either in late 2025 or early 2026. Yunus, who assumed leadership of the caretaker government after the violent unrest in August that led to the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has faced growing pressure to set a clear election date.

Speaking on state television, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate emphasized that the dates for the elections could be fixed by the end of 2025 or within the first half of 2026. Yunus, 84, acknowledged the “extremely tough” challenge of restoring democratic institutions in Bangladesh, a nation of approximately 170 million people that has been embroiled in political unrest and violence.

The unrest erupted earlier this year when thousands of protesters stormed Hasina’s palace in Dhaka, following a series of violent clashes that led to the deaths of hundreds, most of whom were killed by police gunfire. In the aftermath of the protests, Hasina, 77, fled the country by helicopter to neighboring India. The period of turmoil also saw widespread retaliation, with many supporters of Hasina’s Awami League party being targeted in reprisals.

Yunus’s temporary administration is now tasked with navigating the complex task of re-establishing democratic governance in the wake of Hasina's 15-year rule, which was marked by allegations of widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention, extrajudicial killings, and politically motivated persecution of her opponents. Critics have also accused her government of undermining the judiciary and civil service to consolidate power, staging lopsided elections to ensure her party's continued dominance.

As Bangladesh looks toward a future free from authoritarian rule, Yunus's government faces the monumental task of rebuilding public trust in the electoral process, ensuring a fair and transparent election when the time comes.