Local Government Election Schedule Within September: CEC

The Election Commission is ready to conduct local government elections, according to Chief Election Commissioner A. M. M. Nasir Uddin. The schedule is expected to be revealed in September. The CEC said to reporters on Thursday at the Election Commission building in Agargaon, Dhaka, that the local government election process must begin this year and the Thakurgaon-1 by-election must be finished in ninety days according to legal requirements. He emphasized that to prevent any scheduling difficulties, the commission would carefully coordinate the dates of both votes.

The CEC and three election commissioners made President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir their first formal courtesy call at Bangabhaban before the announcement. The panel congratulated the President on taking office during the 35- to 40-minute meeting. Both the President and the Prime Minister are committed to formalizing the country’s democracy, the CEC reported, adding that the President assured the commission of his full support in maintaining neutrality and independent identity.

The CEC emphasized logistical preparation by confirming that the Ministry of Law had reviewed papers about the electoral code of conduct, leaving only the finalization of the relevant handbook. Priority will be given to Union Parishads whose mandates have ended in the next elections, which were previously conducted in seven stages. However, several obstacles, such as the post-flood conditions, law enforcement obligations during Durga Puja, the winter school exam schedule that calls for teachers and school buildings to serve as polling places, and upcoming religious holidays like Ramadan and Eid-ul-Adha beginning in late February, put the commission under pressure.

Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd.) Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah will soon lead coordination meetings with law enforcement agencies to ensure strict security and smooth enactment, with provisions to deploy the military forces under ‘In Aid to Civil Power’ if required. Regarding the disagreement over Mr. Gazi Nazrul Islam, the Jamaat-e-Islami candidate for Satkhira-4, the CEC added that before taking legal action, the commission is awaiting an official letter from the Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad.