No Party Symbols in Local Government polls: LGRD State Minister
State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, Mr. Mir Shahe Alam, has said there will be no party symbols in local government elections, though BNP-backed specific candidates will be present locally. He said the government will provide all necessary cooperation to the Election Commission to make local government elections free, fair, and neutral.
The State Minister made these remarks yesterday, Thursday, while responding to journalists’ questions after a courtesy meeting between Local Government Minister Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan and British High Commissioner Sarah Cook at the Secretariat. He said that although the election will not be held on party symbols, which political ideology a candidate is associated with may still be known to people locally. However, he said this will not in any way affect the Election Commission’s neutrality. Asked about BNP’s position on the local government election, Mr. Mir Shahe Alam said the party’s highest policy-making level has instructed the local level that BNP should make every effort to field a single candidate in each union. However, he said, these candidates will not be nominated on the party symbol; rather, they may take part in the election as BNP-backed candidates. He said that while it is true that “the election will not be held on party symbols,” the reality is also that voters in any area will not remain unaware of which political party a chairman candidate is associated with. Asked whether BNP would take any special advantage or separate position in this regard, the State Minister said the government’s role in the election will be to assist the Election Commission in holding a free, fair, and neutral election.
He said that according to the law, any eligible and legally valid candidate will be able to take part in the election. He said it is the government’s responsibility to ensure an environment in which candidates can safely campaign and voters can vote without hindrance, and that the Election Commission will receive all necessary cooperation for this, from local administration up to central administration. The State Minister said the current government and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman have given clear directives on making local government elections free, fair, and neutral, and that in line with those directives, the administration will work in coordination with the Election Commission. He said the government’s message is very clear: since this is not a partisan election, all legally eligible candidates will be able to take part, and it is the state’s responsibility to ensure equal opportunity for everyone. In response to another question from journalists, Mr. Mir Shahe Alam said the government wants to complete the five important elections of the local government system — Union Parishad, Upazila Parishad, Municipality (Pourashava), District Parishad, and City Corporation elections — within the government-set timeframe, and that the state will extend all forms of cooperation to the Election Commission to organize these elections freely, fairly, and neutrally.
At this time, British High Commissioner Sarah Cook said Bangladesh and the United Kingdom have a long-standing historical partnership, and that the UK also has a long-standing cooperative relationship with the Ministry of Local Government. She said the UK has been cooperating with Bangladesh’s local government and related development activities for more than the past 10 years, during which the UK has invested more than £100 million in various programs of the Ministry of Local Government. Ms. Cook said the UK has worked with Bangladesh in formulating the National Urban Development Programme and the new National Urban Development Policy. The meeting also discussed how the experience and lessons learned from this long-standing partnership could be utilized in the future. She said sustainable development would receive special importance in future cooperation.
