Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus has reaffirmed that Bangladesh’s 13th national parliamentary election and referendum will be held on February 12, without any change to the schedule. He made the statement on Tuesday night during a meeting with former senior US diplomats Albert Gombis and Morse Tan at the state guesthouse Jamuna in Dhaka. Yunus emphasized that the interim government is determined to hold the election on time and transfer power to a democratically elected government afterward.

According to the Chief Adviser’s press wing, the visiting diplomats served under former US President Donald Trump and came to Bangladesh ahead of the crucial election. Yunus said the polls would be free, fair, peaceful, and festive, with the administration remaining neutral and ensuring equal opportunity for all political parties. He added that the government is campaigning for a “Yes” vote in the referendum on the July Charter, which he said would mark a new chapter in democratic governance.

Yunus also warned of misinformation and AI-generated fake videos being spread by supporters of the former authoritarian regime, but noted that citizens are becoming more capable of identifying such content.