RANGPUR, Bangladesh — Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin announced Saturday that Bangladesh’s next general elections will be held in the first week of February 2026, but warned that restoring public trust in the electoral process remains a key challenge.

Speaking at an event in Rangpur, Uddin said the exact date would be revealed two months before the schedule is announced. He acknowledged that citizens had lost confidence in the election system, the Election Commission, and the administrative machinery, but stressed his office was working to regain this trust.

The CEC’s remarks came days after interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus confirmed February 2026 as the election month, marking one year since Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League was ousted on August 5, 2024.

Uddin assured that law and order is stable and would be further strengthened to ensure peaceful, fear-free voting.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), now the largest party in Awami League’s absence, will contest the polls with its 12-party alliance, excluding former key ally Jamaat-e-Islami. Analysts say the move aims to project a more centrist image.

The election will be the first since student-led protests toppled Hasina’s government last year.