Bangladesh’s interim administration expects to hand over power to the incoming elected government “as quickly as possible,” and in any case no later than Feb 17–18, the chief adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy after an advisers’ council meeting chaired by Muhammad Yunus.
Voting for the 13th National Parliament and the nationwide referendum on the July National Charter is scheduled for Feb 12. Outlining a rapid transition path, Shafiqul said the sequence could be completed “within three days” if newly elected MPs are sworn in swiftly and the majority leader is invited to take the oath as prime minister—potentially by Feb 15–16. “We don’t see it going beyond the 17th or 18th,” he added.
Echoing the timeline, deputy press secretary Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad Mazumder said the goal remains to transfer responsibilities to elected representatives “as soon as possible” once results are finalized.
On swearing-in mechanics for MPs, law adviser Asif Nazrul said two options are under consideration at the policy level: a person nominated by the president—“for example, the chief justice”—or the chief election commissioner. The latter route would require a three-day wait, which the interim authorities “would prefer to avoid” in order to accelerate the transition, he noted.
Officials emphasized that the focus is on an efficient, orderly handover consistent with constitutional practice, with the interim government stepping aside promptly so a newly mandated administration can form in Bangladesh.