Dhaka: Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, has instructed all concerned departments to complete preparations for the upcoming national elections by December, with a view to holding the 13th general election before the start of Ramadan next year.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said Yunus has specifically tasked the home ministry with completing the training of all law enforcement agencies as part of the broader electoral preparedness plan.
“The Chief Adviser has directed that all necessary election-related tasks be finalised by December to facilitate polls before Ramadan, expected around mid-March 2025,” Alam said.
He added that elections could be scheduled as early as mid-February, subject to lunar sighting and timely completion of reforms.
As part of the readiness initiative, the government is moving to recruit over 17,000 personnel across the police, Border Guard Bangladesh, and Coast Guard.
Law enforcement agencies have also been ordered to implement a strict security framework in the lead-up to the polls.
The upcoming election is expected to be a high-stakes contest involving the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the newly formed student-led National Campus Party (NCP) — reportedly supported by Yunus — Jamaat-e-Islami, and several other Islamic political groups.
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With Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League sidelined following the transition to interim rule, BNP has emerged as the principal opposition, demanding an early election.
Meanwhile, the NCP and allied Islamist factions are pushing for a delay in polling until judicial proceedings against former PM Hasina and her top aides — on charges including crimes against humanity — are concluded and institutional reforms are in place.
