Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus confirmed on Tuesday that Bangladesh will hold its general election and national referendum on February 12, as previously scheduled. During a meeting with former senior U.S. diplomats Albert Gombis and Mors Tan at the State Guest House Jamuna, the Nobel Laureate reaffirmed the interim government’s unwavering commitment to the timeline, stating the polls would occur “neither a day earlier nor a day later.”
Professor Yunus expressed concern over the “flood of misinformation” and AI-generated fake news aimed at destabilizing the electoral process. He attributed these campaigns to remnants of the former “fascist regime” but noted that the public is increasingly vigilant. The Chief Adviser emphasized that his administration’s primary goal is to oversee a free, fair, and festive election before transferring power to a democratically elected government.
The hour-long discussion also covered the legacy of the July uprising and the potential for a South African-style “Truth and Reconciliation Commission.” However, Professor Yunus dismissed the immediate possibility of such an initiative. He argued that reconciliation requires perpetrators to show remorse, which is currently absent as the former ruling class continues to deny their roles in the July atrocities.
The visiting diplomats, who served under the Trump administration, praised Yunus’s leadership over the past 18 months. Both sides agreed that combating fake news is a global priority for preserving democracy. The meeting also addressed the ongoing Rohingya crisis and the government’s efforts to garner public support for the “July Charter,” a proposed framework to prevent the future rise of autocracy.