Dhaka, Nov 22 (LatestNewsX) – On Saturday, the Bangladesh interim cabinet, headed by Muhammad Yunus, told the Election Commission to organise a referendum on the same day as the February 2026 general elections, EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said, according to local media.
During a briefing on Saturday afternoon, Ahmed explained that the EC had received a letter from the interim government on Thursday, directing it to hold the referendum and the national election together.
“The Cabinet Division sent the letter to the commission, directing it to begin necessary preparations for holding a referendum,” Bangladesh’s top daily The Business Standard reported quoting the EC official.
"We received the letter on Thursday. In the letter, the government has said that holding a referendum will be the EC’s responsibility and also asked the commission to arrange the election alongside the referendum on the same day," he added.
At the same time, Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin warned that managing both the referendum and the polls on one day would strain the commission’s resources.
"Preparations for the election are already in full swing, but holding the national polls and a referendum on the same day would be a major challenge. Once the law is enacted, we will know what kind of preparations are required for the referendum. After the law is passed, the commission will fully prepare for it," the CEC said.
He went on to say, "Whatever the challenges, the EC will hold the referendum and the national election on the same day. We have no option but to move forward."
In contrast, Jamaat‑e‑Islami leader Shafiqur Rahman cautioned that combining the two events could trigger the kind of “electoral genocide” he feared, adding that his party would not provoke a crisis over the polls.
“We do not view a referendum on election day positively. We have already said that combining the two could pose serious risks to the election,” Rahman told reporters in Chattogram’s Parade Ground on Saturday.
Last week, Yunus announced that the country will simultaneously hold the election and the referendum in the first half of February 2026, according to local sources.
Amid the growing political tension, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party is also pushing for a joint referendum and election in February 2026, while Jamaat and other Islamist factions insist on a separate referendum before the polls.
Bangladesh continues to face growing uncertainty and political turmoil ahead of next year’s election.
The former allies of Yunus, who toppled Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government, now clash over reform proposals.
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