However, some political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, have welcomed the announcement of elections in the first half of April. Some parties, on the other hand, feel that "the government has at least announced a date for the elections" is a great relief to them.
Some analysts say that by accepting the 'advice of Jamaat', contrary to the statements of the BNP and the army chief about the election date, Mr. Yunus wanted to convey that he would not accept anything under pressure.
"A stubbornness has been manifested in choosing April for the election. The views of the majority parties have been ignored out of ego, thinking, 'Why don't they give it to them?'" Mohammad Saiful Alam Chowdhury, a lecturer at Dhaka University, told BBC Bangla.
Mohammad Mujibur Rahman, another lecturer at Dhaka University, says that the chief advisor has failed to clarify why the election cannot be held by December or what benefits the nation will get if it is held in April.
What did the chief advisor say in his speech?
In his address to the nation on Friday, Professor Muhammad Yunus said that the next national election will be held sometime in the first half of April 2026. The chief advisor also said that the Election Commission will give a detailed roadmap for the election based on this announcement.
"I have repeatedly said that this election will be held between December and June next year. During this period, the government is doing whatever needs to be done to create an environment conducive to elections in the country," he said.
He also accused the spread of misinformation about the humanitarian corridor for Rakhine. "This is the work of those who are constantly misleading the people of Bangladesh by making false stories and creating unrest," he said.
Referring to Chittagong Port as the "heart of Bangladesh's economy," he spoke of making this heart bigger and stronger. "For this, the people we have contacted are the best and most experienced in the world in port management."
However, various political parties, including the BNP, have rejected the plan to give the corridor and port to foreigners.
What BNP is saying
The BNP's national standing committee meeting was held immediately after the chief advisor's speech on Friday. The party's acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, who is in London, presided virtually.
It was learned from talking to some members of the standing committee that the chief advisor's speech was severely criticized in the meeting and that the entire meeting was filled with anger over Mr. Yunus's speech on the port and corridor issues, in addition to the election date.
The press release that was issued that night to inform the media of the standing committee's decision said, "In his long speech, he (the chief advisor) has touched upon issues such as ports, corridors, etc. that, in his own words, do not fall within the three 'mandates' of the interim government."
The meeting expressed anger because "he crossed the limits of political correctness in his choice of words" in the speech, the release said.
BNP's complaint is that the chief advisor did not give any reason in his speech as to why elections cannot be held by December.
The standing committee said, "If the election is held in the first half of April, on the one hand, the weather crisis and on the other hand, the election campaign and activities during Ramadan can create a situation that can be considered a reason to postpone the election."
"This meeting reiterates the proposal to hold the election by December, considering Ramadan, secondary and higher secondary or equivalent examinations, and the weather, etc.," the party said in a statement.
Explaining this, Salauddin Ahmed told BBC Bangla that the behavior of the advisory council seems to be BNP's opponent.
"However, we have been cooperating. They are behaving in a patronizing manner towards the BNP. However, their views on the newly formed party and other parties are different," said Mr. Ahmed.
He said that BNP and like-minded parties had talked about December, considering the overall situation in the country. "But what has happened now will create a crisis. We still say that December is the best time for the election," he said.
However, senior leaders of the party refused to answer the question of what the BNP would do if the government did not change its position.
A leader only said that the BNP had clarified its position as soon as possible. "Now let's put it in the government's court, let's see what they do," he was saying. Although he requested not to be named.
Influence of special groups!
More than 30 political parties, including the BNP, have demanded elections by December, but the position of the Jamaat and NCP has always been different.
Jamaat-e-Islami had suggested that elections could be held in April. On the other hand, NCP had been talking about completing the reform and trial process before the elections.
In other words, many believe that the government has accepted the advice of Jamaat-e-Islami and NCP for the elections, ignoring the advice of the army chief or the demands of most parties, including BNP.
Pointing to that, the BNP's National Standing Committee says that the government has been influenced by special political groups.
The meeting's statement said, "Although the interim government talks about establishing a consensus, the way it is being influenced by a special political group and ignoring the opinions of the majority of political parties and questioning its own impartiality, the meeting believes that the people of the country may be rightly concerned about the possibility of free and fair elections."
Incidentally, the issue of elections by December was initially raised by Army Chief Waqar-uz-Zaman.
In an interview with Reuters on September 24 last year, he said that he would support the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus "no matter what the situation" to complete important reforms so that the elections could be held within the next eighteen months.
This was the first statement on the timing of the elections after the interim government took office, which caused a stir at the time.
Many analysts believe that after this statement by the army chief, pressure began to build on the government for a roadmap regarding the timing of the elections.
At one point, in his address to the nation on March 25, Professor Muhammad Yunus said that the elections would be held between December this year and June next year.
But then the BNP also started taking a stronger stance in favor of their demand for elections by December.
After the continuous statements of BNP leaders on this issue, the party's acting chairman Tarique Rahman said in a virtual speech at a party rally on May 28, "The national election must be held by December, the national election will be held by December."
On that day, the chief advisor, who was in Tokyo, said at an event there that only one party was seeking elections in December, and his statement created a strong reaction in the BNP.
After that, at least 30 political parties, including the BNP, issued statements saying that they also wanted elections by December.
Earlier, rumors about the 'resignation of the chief advisor' spread around the incident of BNP leader Ishraq Hossain's supporters standing near the chief advisor's office demanding that he be sworn in as mayor. Although no such statement came from him or his office.
But then, in the meeting held by Mr. Yunus with various political parties, the BNP demanded elections by December and the removal of two advisors. But it is believed that the government did not take these demands into practical consideration.
What Jamaat and NCP said
After the chief advisor's speech, the Jamaat Ameer expressed satisfaction with the announcement of the election roadmap in a statement.
The statement said, "The nation is reassured by his announcement and expresses its hope that he will take necessary steps to hold a free, fair, impartial, and acceptable election within the announced time."
On the other hand, the NCP said that they have no objection to holding the election on the announced time "if effective steps are taken regarding the July Charter, Declaration, and reforms."
What analysts are saying
Political analysts say that the chief advisor, despite several rounds of discussions with the parties, has made his own decision and they believe that it was not well-considered at all.
Political parties and analysts say April is not appropriate for a 'festive and participatory' election due to the fasting period until mid-March, high temperatures in April, lightning, cyclones, and other natural disasters, as well as the SSC and HSC exams.
Dhaka University teacher Mohammad Mujibur Rahman believes that if the decision were based on everyone's opinion, there would be no debate about it, and the language used by the chief advisor on some issues in his speech was not correct.
"He did not give any explanation as to why the election had to be held at an unfavorable time like April. Many fear that if it is not held by January, it may be delayed until next December. And if that happens, there may be concerns about whether the election will be held at all."
According to him, "all in all, the question will now be whether the country is heading towards uncertainty, fear and deadlock again."
Another analyst, Saiful Alam Chowdhury, said that most of the parties with whom the chief advisor met wanted elections in December, but the chief advisor ignored the opinion of the majority and made his decision.
"However, he expressed hope in his speech that the largest number of parties, candidates, and voters will participate in the elections. How is this possible? He has been receiving continuous support from the Jamaat since the beginning of the government, and he has also listened to the Jamaat's advice. Naturally, if someone wants, two and two make four," he told BBC Bangla.
According to him, he did not explain the repeated concerns raised by the army about staying in the field for a long time.
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