Bangladesh’s interim government is racing towards a free and fair election and it is likely to take place by December 2025, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus said Monday.During a high-stakes meeting with EU Commissioner Hadja Lahbib at the State Guest House Jamuna, the European Union also unveiled a €68 million aid package to tackle the Rohingya crisis and Myanmar’s spiralling conflict—welcome cash, though Lahbib warned it’s still a drop in a deepening humanitarian bucket. “We’re committed to a vote that’s clean and open—likely by December,” said Yunus announcing a timeline for an interim regime juggling reforms and recovery, but he’s betting on it to steady Bangladesh’s democratic course. The EU’s Lahbib, in town as Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness, and Crisis Management, cheered the resolve. “You’re doing extraordinary work at an extraordinary time,” she told Yunus, promising EU muscle behind his reform push. “We’re beside you—change meets resistance, but we’ll help you through.” 

The €68 million boost targets Rohingya camps, host communities in Bangladesh, and Rakhine’s violence-torn west in Myanmar.

It tops last year’s initial EU contribution, yet Lahbib sounded a grim note: “It’s not enough. The funding gap’s growing—without more, these camps could crumble.” Yunus called the crisis a “big issue” gnawing at Bangladesh for years. “No solution, no end date,” he sighed, eager to amplify the plight globally. “Your visit, the UN chief’s trip soon—it’s all about eyes on the Rohingya.” Lahbib agreed: “Peace is the only fix.” 

The hour-long talks weren’t all gloom. Yunus pitched Nepal’s hydroelectricity as Bangladesh’s renewable trump card, nudging the EU for support. “Nepal and Bhutan are itching to sell us clean power—it’s right there,” he said, eyeing a fossil-fuel exit. Lahbib doubled down on climate ties, offering EU know-how on flood control and disaster prep. “Let’s swap good practices,” she urged, seeing Bangladesh’s flood-prone deltas as a shared battleground.