The announcement of the national election schedule on Thursday has begun to ease the prolonged political and economic uncertainty felt by Bangladesh’s business community.
Businesses said that the declaration had created expectations that a newly elected government would assume office, which was essential to restarting the economic engine.
Earlier, on Thursday, the Election Commission announced the schedule for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections, including a national referendum, confirming that both votes would be held on February 12, 2026.
Chief election commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin unveiled the timetable in a recorded address to the nation broadcast by Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and other outlets.
However, a day after the schedule was unveiled, the shooting of an independent candidate left business leaders alarmed again.
They urged the government to ensure security for all and guarantee a credible, peaceful election.
Speaking to New Age, Inamul Haq Khan, senior vice-president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said that the business community felt relieved after the schedule was announced.
‘We believe that once the election was over, the bottlenecks affecting investment, orders, and trade flows would begin to ease,’ he added.
However, Friday afternoon’s shooting of Osman Hadi, the independent MP candidate for Dhaka-8, has caused fresh fear, he said.
Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha and an aspiring independent candidate in the 13th national polls for the Dhaka-8 constituency, was shot in the face by unidentified assailants in the capital’s Bijoynagar area on Friday afternoon during his election campaign.
‘The government must ensure everyone’s safety at any cost and hold a free and fair election. Such an incident, on the day after the schedule was declared, has shaken us,’ Inamul added.
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Mohammad Hatem also welcomed the schedule, saying foreign investors and buyers had long been waiting for clarity about the electoral timeline.
‘The uncertainty surrounding the upcoming election is now clearing. Whenever we speak to foreign investors or buyers about doing business in Bangladesh, they all ask for the date of the election,’ he added.
With the process now underway, the path has opened for the return of a stable economic and business environment,’ he said.
He also said that economic activities and investment were currently stagnant. A political government could take the policy decisions needed for economic development and business expansion, he said.
