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The country’s local government elections are set to begin with polls to three major city corporations – Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) – whose terms have expired or are nearing expiry.
The Election Commission (EC) has already initiated preparations for the polls, even as the political outcome of the 13th parliamentary election and the referendum continues to unfold.
According to EC sources, elections to DNCC, DSCC and CCC will be held in the first phase after Eid-ul-Fitr, while polls to other tiers of local government bodies are expected to take place in phases. Subsequently, the commission plans to organise elections to the remaining nine city corporations, along with district councils, municipalities and Upazila Parishads.
The EC will amend the Local Government (City Corporation) Act and the relevant Code of Conduct. The work on these amendments is expected to be completed within Ramadan. To this end, the commission is preparing a work plan, which may be finalised at a commission meeting in a week, reliable EC sources confirmed.
In the first week of February, the Local Government Division, under the immediate past interim government, sent a letter to the EC requesting necessary steps to hold local government elections.
When asked about the matter, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told the Daily Sun on Thursday that they have already started the work. “To conduct an election, there are various tasks that need to be initiated, and we are doing all of those,” he said.
“There is no question of doing just one or two elections; we are working on all of them. The tasks are being carried out one after another, but a comprehensive plan has to be prepared first,” he said.
After the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August 2024, the interim administration removed elected representatives from 12 city corporations, 330 municipalities, 497 Upazila Parishads and 64 Zila Parishads. Currently, administrators manage these local government institutions.
However, Union Parishad chairmen and members were not removed, though many remain in jail or are away from their localities. Following a court order, Shahadat Hossain is serving as mayor of Chattogram City Corporation.
According to EC officials, discussions on holding local government elections began soon after the interim government assumed office.
Initially, authorities requested preparations for elections to DNCC, DSCC and CCC. Later, the government decided against holding local polls before the parliamentary election, following objections from the BNP and most other political parties.
Under the law, authorities must arrange city corporation elections within 180 days before the expiry of their terms. The DSCC held its first meeting on 2 June 2020 and its five-year term expired on 1 June last year, while the DNCC held its first meeting on 3 June 2020 with its term ending on 2 June 2025 and the CCC held its first meeting on 23 February 2021 and its term will expire on Sunday.
As part of preparations to hold elections in these city corporations in the first phase, the commission will update voter lists, demarcate electoral boundaries, scrutinise nomination papers and appoint election officials.
Officials indicated that a special or emergency plan may be adopted for CCC as its tenure is going to end in two days.
Speaking to journalists, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday said the government will move quickly to restore elected local administrations.
He said decisions on the polls will follow without delay, suggesting that long-delayed local government elections could be held soon as the country emerges from political upheaval and a period of administrative vacuum.
Asked when elections to the union, Upazila, and district councils could take place, Fakhrul said, “As soon as possible, we will arrange polls in these bodies. We will make a decision this regard soon.”
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