Peace

In a significant announcement, Yunus declared that the interim government would formally request the Election Commission to organise the national election in February 2026, prior to the start of the holy month of Ramadan.

UNICEF also called for more humanitarian aid and commercial traffic to come in to stabilise the situation and reduce the desperation of the population.

Britain has maintained an open stance on limited engagement to support humanitarian aid delivery and address shared concerns over migration and terrorism.

The situation came to a head last week with the gruesome daylight lynching of 39-year-old scrap dealer Chand Mia, also known as Sohag, in front of the Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital in Dhaka.

Meanwhile, the de facto authorities have conveyed grievances around frozen assets, sanctions, non-recognition, the need for greater development assistance, and an end to aid dependency.

The high-stakes meeting brought together 20 leaders from various political parties and organisations in two separate sessions, as Yunus sought to shore up support amid reports of internal tensions within his interim government and growing external pressure.

One should, nevertheless, keep in mind that war is horrific. It is most often not the answer. When it is, it is always the very last resort after all other means to resolve adverse situations have been well and truly exhausted.

He offered his good offices to both governments to help defuse tensions and promote diplomacy, stressing that “a military solution is no solution.”