Chapter 2 of the Interim Govt. Top Priority is Fair Elections: CA

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Thursday said the government has entered the second chapter of its tenure, with the key focus now on ensuring a fair national election.

"Our first chapter ended on August 5. The second chapter now begins, with the key task being to hold the next national election fairly," said Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, quoting Prof Yunus during a meeting of the Council of Advisers at the Secretariat.

In addition to the upcoming election, the Chief Adviser emphasised two other ongoing priorities - advancing key reforms and continuing the trials already in progress. Alam said National Consensus Commission Vice President Dr Ali Riaz is expected to hold a press conference soon to provide updates on the reform agenda.

Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal Tajul Islam will continue to inform the public about developments related to the ongoing trials. Regarding concerns about the law and order situation, the Press Secretary said the government has instructed the police headquarters to operate with full transparency and continue providing regular updates with statistics.

The statistics shared by the police headquarters do not support claims that the law-and-order situation has collapsed, said Alam, responding to a journalist’s question. "The Police Headquarters remain fully transparent and they are releasing monthly crime statistics. I would request you to review the data for July," he added.

Alam also trashed the claim that the administration has collapsed, noting several key achievements would not have been possible without a functioning and stable administration.

The trial of crimes against humanity committed in July and August is progressing firmly, Prof Yunus said in his televised speech on Tuesday. "The formal hearing phase of the trial has also begun. Those involved in the horrific massacres of history will be brought to justice on the soil of this country," he said.

The trial process and its outcomes will be revealed to the public step by step, Prof Yunus said. The entire process of justice is being kept transparent and visible to the people, he mentioned.

The Office of the Chief Adviser on Wednesday sent a letter to the Election Commission requesting it to complete all preparations to hold the next parliamentary election before Ramadan in February 2026. With this letter, the formalities of the government's request to the Election Commission to arrange the election have been completed.

In the letter sent to EC's Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, Chief Adviser’s Principal Secretary M Siraz Uddin Miah requested him to take all necessary measures to arrange a "free, fair, peaceful and festive" national election of the expected quality within the specified time.

This move came a day after Chief Adviser Professor Yunus’ announcement in his televised address to the nation on August 5, the Day of Mass Uprising, where he said the government would formally request the Election Commission to arrange the election before Ramadan, beginning in February next.

Referring to the address to the nation, the letter said the Chief Adviser in his speech talked about the immediate start of all preparations and institutional arrangements in this regard (election arrangements).

The Chief Adviser had emphasised making arrangements so that the next election would be memorable as a day of great joy and festivity in the context of citizens not being able to vote in the last fifteen years. He also assured the EC of the government's full cooperation in arranging an expected "fair, free, peaceful, and festive" election.