Last Updated on November 14, 2025 9:46 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus on Thursday reaffirmed that the banned Awami League will not be allowed to contest the national election scheduled for early February.
“The election will be participatory. There will be a big turnout,” Yunus told visiting UK Minister for International Development Baroness Jenny Chapman at the State Guest House Jamuna. A press note said he highlighted the “historical significance” for millions of young voters who were disenfranchised during “three rigged general elections during the 16-year-long autocracy.”
Confirming Awami League’s exclusion, Yunus said the party remains suspended under anti-terrorism laws and the Election Commission has delisted it from the registry. He also expressed confidence in the July National Charter, calling it “a new beginning” that reflects the aspirations of the July Uprising.
Chapman praised Yunus’s leadership and backed the ongoing dialogue between the National Consensus Commission and political parties.
UK asylum abuse flagged: Chapman raised concerns over misuse of the UK asylum system by migrants, including Bangladeshis. Yunus agreed, stressing that the government encourages “safe, legal migration.”
Rohingya crisis: Yunus warned that young Rohingyas were “growing up without hope—angry and frustrated,” and stressed the need for education in the camps.
The meeting also discussed trade and aviation ties, with Chapman announcing an upcoming visit by the head of Airbus International. Yunus said Bangladesh planned to buy a British research vessel for Bay of Bengal studies.