Tue Feb 11 11:58:37 UTC 2025: ## Bangladesh to Hold General Elections by December Amidst Political Unrest

**DHAKA, BANGLADESH** – Bangladesh’s Election Commission (EC) announced on February 11, 2025, its plans to hold general elections by December of this year. This decision follows a week of nationwide vandalism and increasing pressure from political parties. The announcement comes a day after Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, head of the interim government, assured the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of elections by December.

Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Mohammad Sanaullah confirmed the December timeline following a meeting with diplomats from 17 countries, including representatives from the UN and EU. The national election takes precedence over previously proposed local government elections. While the UN expressed its support for free and fair elections, it declined to comment on the challenges involved.

The push for a December election stems from a deteriorating law and order situation and economic instability. The BNP, citing these concerns, pressed for the earliest possible election date. These concerns were heightened by recent incidents of vandalism, including the demolition of the residence of founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. These acts of violence, largely unchecked, have led to the arrest or displacement of many members of the ousted Awami League government.

The interim government, led by Yunus since August 2024, following an uprising led by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, is navigating a complex political landscape. It is grappling with calls for constitutional reform, including the potential scrapping of the 1972 constitution. The student movement, which played a key role in the regime change, is even hinting at forming its own political party. This further complicates the situation and fuels the BNP’s demand for swift elections. The BNP Secretary General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, directly criticized the government’s response to the recent wave of vandalism.

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