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Bangladesh’s next cycle of local government elections is likely to begin with Union Parishad polls in December this year or January next year, followed by elections to municipalities, city corporations, upazila parishads and district councils in phases.
The Ministry of Local Government and the Election Commission (EC) are already making preparations with the aim of completing the elections in stages.
Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told Media that preparations for the local government elections are underway and that the election process for all local government institutions would be completed gradually. He said the process could begin at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.
According to EC sources, the final voter list will be prepared based on voters registered up to July 31. The list will be used to conduct the local government elections.
The commission is currently working on finalising the voter roll, a process that is expected to take some time.
Once the list is published, preparations for announcing the election schedules will begin. The EC will also need additional time to prepare and distribute election materials across the country.
Considering these preparations, the local election process could begin in December or January, the sources said.
The government has also allocated funds in the current fiscal year’s budget for holding local government elections.
EC sources said, as in previous cycles, the elections are expected to be held in phases.
Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud told Media that the EC is currently focused on the presidential election. Work on the local government elections will begin after that election is completed.
Regarding the updating of the voter list, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said the final voter roll would include those who registered up to July 31.
Meanwhile, the EC has finalised a draft code of conduct for the five tiers of local government elections and sent it to the Law Ministry for vetting.
EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said on Monday that the commission had approved the draft code of conduct. It will be published as a gazette after completing the Law Ministry’s vetting process.
The EC initiated the revision of the code after a law was passed in July providing for local government elections to be held using non-party symbols.
A new code is being prepared for the five types of local government elections, replacing the code introduced in 2016.
Under the proposed rules, posters will no longer be allowed, but candidates will be permitted to use banners, leaflets, handbills and festoons subject to specified size limits. For the first time, billboards will also be permitted.
Banners may not exceed 10 feet by 4 feet, while leaflets and handbills must be A4-sized. Festoons may be up to 18 inches by 24 inches, and billboards may not exceed 16 feet by 9 feet.
Campaign materials will have to be in black and white. Election symbols may not exceed six feet in length, width or height.
The proposed rules will also impose limits on billboard use depending on the type of election.
In city corporation and Union Parishad elections, candidates will be allowed one billboard per ward. The same limit will apply to municipal elections.
For upazila elections, a maximum of 20 billboards will be permitted, while in district council elections, candidates will be allowed one billboard per police station or upazila.
