Could delay polls: BNP criticises Yunus' idea to lower voting age to 17

Yunus, 84, who was sworn-in to lead the interim government after the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August, on Friday suggested that the minimum voter age should be lowered to 17 yrs

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Saturday said that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus' suggestion to set the minimum voting age at 17 would put pressure on the Election Commission and could delay the election process.

Yunus, 84, who was sworn-in to lead the interim government after the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August, on Friday suggested that the minimum voter age should be lowered to 17 years, The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. 

In a video message played in an election dialogue, Yunus said, To give their (youth) opinion on their own future, I think the voting age for them should be fixed at 17 years."  BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, during a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club here, said the chief adviser's suggestion to lower the voting age to 17 means a new voter list would have to be prepared.

"Now, people will fear that even more time will be wasted and further delays will occur, he was quoted as saying. 

Alamgir said there is an impression among the people that the interim government is deliberately trying to delay the election process. But that is not my perception, he added.

The BNP leader said the chief adviser should not have raised the issue without first consulting the stakeholders.

You are the chief executive, and you said that 17 years is better. When you say this, it becomes binding on the Election Commission, he said.

Alamgir said the government should have left the matter to the Election Commission, allowing it to make a decision.

He said that the current minimum age of 18 for becoming a voter is acceptable to all.

If you want to reduce it by one year, then let the new Election Commission propose it and engage in discussions with the political parties, the BNP leader said.

During his Victory Day speech on December 16, Yunus indicated that elections might be held by early 2026.

"Broadly speaking, the election can be scheduled between the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026," he said.

Yunus said that the elections would be held after updating the voters' list.