Election date likely to be announced in first week of August

The interim government may announce the date of the national election in the first week of August, coinciding with the anniversary of the mass uprising. The chief adviser may announce the date through an address to the nation, multiple government sources have confirmed.

These sources further said that the government will request the Election Commission (EC) in August’s first week to begin necessary preparations for holding the election in February. Meanwhile, it is almost certain that the ‘July Charter’ will be announced by 5 August based on consensus among political parties.

A draft of the July Charter has already been prepared by the National Consensus Commission. The commission’s second round of discussions with political parties will be completed by 31 July.

At the beginning of yesterday morning’s dialogue with party leaders, Vice President of the National Consensus Commission, Professor Ali Riaz, said the draft of the July Charter would be sent to the parties by Monday. One day will be allocated for the ongoing dialogue to finalise the charter.

Ali Riaz also noted that the draft itself will not be discussed in the dialogue.
“If there are any major fundamental objections, then we will bring it into the discussion; otherwise, we won’t.

If you (the political parties) provide your opinions, those will be incorporated. The preliminary charter will include background context and statements of commitment,” Ali Riaz said.

BNP’s acting Chairman Tarique Rahman met with Chief Adviser Professor Yunus on 13 June in London. In a joint statement following the meeting, it was said that if preparations are completed, the election may be held in the first half of February 2026, just before the holy month of Ramadan. However, that would require sufficient progress on reforms and trial-related issues by then.

After this London meeting, the lack of visible activity related to elections led to growing doubt among BNP leaders. Especially since the government had not clearly communicated anything to the EC, suspicion and distrust around the election process deepened. At the same time, some parties raised new demands—such as holding local government elections before the national polls and adopting a proportional representation (PR) system—which BNP also viewed with skepticism.

Most recently, between 22 and 26 July, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus held three rounds of meetings with leaders from various parties. On 26 July, he met with leaders of 14 parties and alliances. After the meeting, Mostafa Jamal Haider, Chairman of the Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar faction), told journalists, “The chief adviser categorically said he will announce the election timeline and date within the next four to five days. That was the most fruitful outcome of the discussion. The government has realised that elections are the only solution to the prevailing disorder.”

This statement by Haider—also the coordinator of the 12-party alliance that supports BNP’s simultaneous movement—has brought the issue of election timing back into focus.

However, the press statement issued by the chief adviser’s office following the 26 July meeting did not mention anything specific about the election date. It did, however, express concern about efforts by reactionary forces to disrupt the election process. The chief adviser called on all anti-fascist forces to remain united.

BNP is viewing the possible announcement of the election date and timeline positively. Speaking to Prothom Alo yesterday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “If the chief adviser announces the election date within a couple of days, we’ll be happy—because that’s exactly what we’ve been demanding.”

However, reactions from the broader political spectrum are mixed. Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher told Prothom Alo, “We don’t know exactly what the chief adviser has said. Even if the election is held in February, announcing a specific date before that is immature. Reforms and justice for the genocide are prerequisites for the election. Declaring the election date before announcing the July Charter would undermine the spirit of July. Announcing an election date without completing reforms or ensuring visible justice is like putting the cart before the horse.”

On the other hand, Ariful Islam Adib, Senior Joint Convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP), said that if the July Charter is finalised in the next four or five days, they would have no objection to announcing the election date.

Among various parties, there is ongoing discussion that the government wants to give clear assurances about the election process to prevent any obstacles in finalising the July Charter.