The Brahmaputra is replenished after the rains, bringing relief to both man and hearth. There is hope once again, for fresh, clean pastures to nurse the seeds of a new beginning. In Bangladesh, where the Brahmaputra is called the Jamuna, it brings quiet rejoicing.
On the first anniversary of the mass protests across the country, which toppled Sheikh Hasina’s long-serving government and forced her to flee to India, renowned economist and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who heads the interim government, has announced that national elections will be held before Ramadan in February 2026. “On behalf of the government, we will extend all necessary support to ensure that the election is free, peaceful and celebratory in spirit,” he said.
The student-led uprising a year ago cost precious lives and changed the political landscape, but Bangladesh has since moved through anger, grief, reflection and calm. The interim government has worked to address public demands for constitutional, political and legislative reform. It is time for catharsis.
At a crossroads, Bangladesh looks towards its political forces, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the National Citizen Party, Jamaat-e-Islami and even the banned Awami League, to uphold democracy, justice and the rule of law. Hope, after all, is the beginning of the end of despair.