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In just under two months in July and August 2024, the Student–People's uprising managed to topple the authoritarian government of Sheikh Hasina, in power since 2009, in one of the most astonishing displays of people power in South Asia. The movement began as a series of student-led protests against the rigged quota system for government positions and erupted into a nationwide pushback against unjust authoritarian policies. The disparate political forces that supported the student movement included the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the country's largest Islamist party, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, which was only recently unbanned in a June 2025 court ruling, leftist political parties, and the country's most well-known civil society leader, economist, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Muhammad Yunus.
The interim government, led by Yunus, is navigating significant political tensions regarding the timing of national elections. While Yunus’ administration, strongly supported by the newly formed, student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) and the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party, advocates for delaying elections until April 2026 to implement crucial reforms, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a key supporter of the 2024 uprising and currently leading in voter surveys, is pushing for an earlier election, ideally by December 2025. This divergence stems from the BNP's concerns about political trust, economic stability, and international relations, while Yunus and his allies emphasize the necessity of foundational reforms — including those related to the judiciary, law enforcement, and the Election Commission — to ensure truly free and fair elections and prevent a return to authoritarianism.
Despite a public commitment to reforms, the interim government has faced challenges, with reports in late May 2025 indicating Yunus was feeling frustrated over slow progress and even considering resigning. Key figures within his administration, however, publicly urged him to remain for the sake of a democratic transition. The lack of tangible progress in reform, particularly on complex issues such as constitutional changes and judicial decentralization, has fueled anti-government protests and political infighting, exacerbating a deteriorating security situation. Both the NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami have conditioned their participation in elections on the completion of these reforms, while the BNP continues to press for an earlier electoral timeline, citing economic stagnation under the unelected government and concerns about the proposed April 2026 date's feasibility due to weather and religious observances.
Throughout June, the Civic Media Observatory has explored two main narratives that portray the current political challenges in Bangladesh. They describe a tense and uncertain political transition, with the interim government led by Yunus aiming for comprehensive reforms before elections in April 2026, while key political parties like the BNP push for earlier polls by December 2025, amidst slow reform progress and simmering instability.
Narrative: Yunus needs more time to complete reforms
Bangladesh's political landscape is currently dominated by a critical divergence over the timing of general elections. The interim government initially hinted at a June 2026 election, but on June 6, 2025, they officially set the date for April 2026. This timeline is largely supported by the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami party, both of whom insist that comprehensive institutional reforms, particularly within the judiciary, law enforcement, and the Election Commission, must precede any polls. This stance stems from a belief that such reforms are essential to ensure a truly fair democratic process and to prevent a return to the authoritarianism that characterized the previous regime.
However, this timeline faces significant opposition from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a major political force that is popular with voters, which has been consistently pushing for an earlier election, ideally by December 2025. This pressure has led to a volatile period, with Yunus reportedly threatening to resign in late May 2025 due to a lack of progress on reforms and insufficient backing from political parties. While he was persuaded to stay, the underlying tensions persist. The interim government's advisory council has emphasized the need for broader unity to maintain stability and complete reforms, but the slow pace of tangible change, combined with calls for early elections from the BNP and even the Army Chief, risks exacerbating political instability and a deteriorating security situation.
How this narrative is shared online
This is a Facebook video showing congregants asking Yunus to stay in power for five years while attending Eid-ul-Adha prayers. In the narrated video, Yunus is walking alongside a line divider guarded by security personnel, being hailed by the crowd on the other side, while waving and making unity gestures.
Yunus himself has repeatedly stated that he has no wish to participate in the next government, and that his only priority is to properly manage the transition and the elections.
The item became part of an apparent inorganic influence campaign, with many pro-Jamaat accounts posting the quote and the video on June 7, on X and Facebook, including Basherkella, the PR arm of Jamaat's youth wing. Example reposts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
The item uncritically amplifies a populist sentiment against both the promises of Yunus to the people of Bangladesh and the mandate of the transitional government to prepare the country for democratic elections.
Narrative: Only early elections can secure the country's future
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a historic political force in Bangladesh that supported the 2024 “July Revolution,” is currently at odds with Muhammad Yunus’ transitional government over the election timeline. Despite outwardly supporting Yunus’ reform agenda, the BNP, which holds a strong lead in voter surveys, is vehemently pushing for elections by December 2025, rejecting the April 2026 date announced by Yunus on June 6. They argue that further delays risk eroding political trust, destabilizing the economy, and damaging international relations, while also citing practical concerns like adverse weather and the timing coinciding with Ramadan. After meeting with Tarique Rahman, the BNP's exiled leader in London in mid-June, Yunus conceded the possibility of holding the election in February 2026.
The pressure from the BNP underscores the deep divisions within the country's political landscape, where the desire for swift electoral return clashes with the interim government's stated aim of enacting comprehensive institutional reforms before relinquishing power. This narrative can provide a check on tendencies to keep Yunus in charge of an unelected government for years, as some of his supporters propose. At the same time, it's the BNP's main stratagem of engineering their return to power, as they appear to be more organized for an early election than the recently formed NCP, and the even more recently unbanned Jamaat-e-Islami, despite the two parties’ alignment with the chief adviser.
How this narrative is shared online
In this Facebook video news report, leading BNP politician Rumeen Farhana asserts in a disparaging tone that only Yunus and the student-led NCP party are against holding elections. The item is the video of the MP's appearance on a talk show, three days after the Chief Advisor set the election date for April 2026.
Rumeen Farhana is a prominent MP and a leading opposition member, and was vocal during the past regime. She is the incumbent international affairs secretary of the BNP. She was subjected to extensive online harassment and targeted with disinformation campaigns for her vocal protests against the Awami League regime. Farhana was also staunchly criticized for granting an interview to an Indian, pro-BJP outlet accused of spreading misinformation against Bangladesh.
Taken at face value, the statement seems to accuse Yunus and the NCP of anti-democratic intentions, which is polarizing and unsubstantiated. However, juxtaposing the political and social factions in favor of early elections with those that are not is fair play for an opposition politician.
