Country stable enough; ready for elections: CA

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Monday said the country has reached a ‘stable enough’ position and is ready to have the national election in the first half of February next year.

"We announced the election in the first half of February 2026...the interim government will be replaced by an elected government," he said at the beginning of his speech at the ‘Stakeholders' Dialogue’ in the beach town of Cox’s Bazar.

Prof Yunus said he has come here at a very important moment in their political history.

One year back, he said, they had gone through a killing spree and followed by the students-led uprising to free the country from the fascist regime.

"Now, we are ready for another transition in our political history. We have announced the time for the election. It's just about a year back, we had the uprising and the country has come to this stable enough and ready to have the election," Prof Yunus said amid the presence of representatives of the international community.

Representatives from governments, UN agencies and international organisations were present.

Prof Yunus hoped that they could work out a solution to the Rohingya problem to let them go back to their own home.

"As part of this transition process that we are going through, it will be complete when we see we have also achieved this goal, to have all our Rohingya guests return to their own home in their own environment," he said.

The Rohingya crisis originated from Myanmar and the solution also lies there, he said, adding that all parties must act to end the crisis with greater resolve without any further delay.

"Your solidarity with the Rohingya voice could be a beacon of hope for them in reversing their marginalisation and persecution as the starting point of their return to their homeland," Prof Yunus said.

"Let us all join our hands and pronounce our determination to contribute to their dignified return, ensuring justice and accountability," he added.

The special session, as part of the three-day conference, began at 11am that called for joint efforts to ensure sustainable peace in Myanmar and in the region, dignified repatriation of the Rohingyas, addressing the challenges on multiple fronts.

A one-minute silence was observed on the occasion of ‘Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day.’ A documentary was also screened on the Rohingya crisis.

Speaking at the event, High Representative for the Rohingya Issue and National Security Adviser of Bangladesh Dr Khalilur Rahman called for concrete international action to ensure safe and dignified repatriation of the Rohingyas to their place of origin in Myanmar.

"We need to continue what we are doing," Khalilur Rahman said.

Disaster Management and Relief Adviser Faruk E Azam, Bir Protik, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations and Assistant Secretary-General, UNHCR Raouf Mazou, among others, spoke at the event.

The three-day international conference titled 'Stakeholders’ Dialogue: Takeaways to the High-Level Conference on Rohingya Situation' began in Cox’s Bazar on Sunday with the aim of engaging global stakeholders to find solutions to the prolonged Rohingya crisis.