Local Government Elections Difficult to Hold Within Current Fiscal Year: EC Masud

Senior Election Commissioner Abdul Rahmanel Masud has stated that organizing all local government elections under the Local Government Division within the current 2026-27 fiscal year may be difficult. Speaking to journalists at his office in the Election Building at Agargaon on Monday (October 19), he explained that the Election Commission (EC) is currently occupied with Union Parishad (UP) elections, and decisions regarding other local government polls will be considered only after advancing this work.

“Since we are currently busy with the UP elections, the matter of other local government elections will be considered after these elections conclude. For now, there is no situation to take any steps in this regard,” Masud said. When asked whether it would be possible to hold all local government elections within the current fiscal year, he replied, “I don’t think we will be able to do all of them. This is my personal opinion”.

He noted that the Election Commission must operate by considering weather conditions and overall circumstances, and preparation schedules and timelines may need adjustments due to various factors. Regarding whether a dialogue will be held with political parties prior to announcing the UP election schedule, Masud mentioned that discussions will be considered before the announcement, though a final decision cannot be disclosed just yet. He did not provide specific details on the timing of the schedule announcement, reiterating that the commission has not yet announced the schedule, so the time has not come to discuss details.

Addressing journalists’ questions about whether the commission holds the authority to deploy the army without amending election laws, Abdul Rahmanel Masud stated, “Yes, that is also there. It exists even without amending the law”. When asked if the army might be deployed during the first phase of UP elections considering law and order, he responded that the deployment of troops in subsequent phases could be considered after reviewing the situation of the first phase.

Journalists noted that the State Minister for Local Government and the media have requested the commission to organize all local government elections, including UP polls. Commenting on the commission’s plans, Masud reiterated that the commission is currently focused on UP elections, and detailed planning for other elections is not feasible right now due to this preoccupation. He added that cooperation from political parties will also be necessary to determine election preparations and schedules, and further decisions will be made after reviewing the overall situation.