Thu May 22 15:37:20 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Bangladesh Army Chief Urges Elections by December Amid Political Turmoil**
**Dhaka, Bangladesh – May 22, 2025** – Bangladesh’s Chief of Army Staff, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, has reportedly called for elections to be held by December of this year, amidst ongoing political turmoil in the South Asian nation. According to local media and confirmed by military sources, the General addressed officers on Wednesday, expressing the urgent need for elections following the student-led uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
Bangladesh, a nation of approximately 170 million people, has been experiencing a period of instability, with various parties protesting and demanding reforms since the change of government. General Waker-Uz-Zaman reportedly described the situation as “chaotic,” stating that the civil administration and law enforcement agencies have struggled to recover.
While interim leader Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has promised elections by June 2026 at the latest, the key opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has been vocal in demanding an earlier election date. The BNP held protests in Dhaka on Wednesday, marking their first demonstration against the caretaker government.
Sources with direct knowledge of the meeting reported that General Waker-Uz-Zaman emphasized the importance of conducting elections swiftly and urged officers to maintain honesty and impartiality during the process. The Army Chief, who announced the overthrow of Ms. Hasina last year before handing power to Mr. Yunus, is said to have appeared frustrated during the address.
Military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Sami-Ud-Dowla Chowdhury confirmed the address but stated the meeting was confidential. The call for elections by December adds further pressure to the caretaker government as Bangladesh navigates this period of political uncertainty.
First Piper 