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Bangladesh’s local government elections could begin as early as October, with the Election Commission (EC) stepping up its initial preparations and planning. To enable newly eligible citizens to participate, the EC has extended voter registration until July 31.
The information was confirmed by Election Commission sources on Friday (July 3).
According to the sources, the voter list update was initially scheduled to end in late June. However, following recommendations from field-level officials, the deadline was extended by one month. As a result, citizens who have not yet registered as voters can apply by July 31 and become eligible to vote in the upcoming local government elections.
Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said it is not yet certain whether the elections will begin in October. He noted that the EC has not yet held any formal discussions or exchanged official correspondence with the government regarding the election schedule.
He added that the commission faces no legal obstacles to holding Union Parishad and municipality elections. However, elections to upazila and district councils depend entirely on the completion of those grassroots polls, as elected Union Parishad and municipal representatives serve as the electorate or members for the higher-tier local government bodies.
EC officials said nearly 4,000 Union Parishads across the country are currently ready for elections, while most other local government bodies have already been dissolved. The commission is now assessing how many phases will be required to complete the elections and determining the appropriate interval between each phase.
Officials also said preparations for the polls are progressing. The budget for purchasing ballot paper through the Bangladesh Government Press (BG Press) has already been approved. Meanwhile, the process of finalising the election code of conduct and voting rules is in its final stages. The deadline for political parties and the public to submit opinions on the draft code of conduct has recently ended, and the commission is now reviewing the feedback.
According to the EC’s central database, Bangladesh currently has 128,323,240 registered voters, including 65,212,731 men, 63,109,266 women, and 1,243 third-gender voters.
Previously, the final voter list was published annually in March. However, following legal amendments, the Election Commission now has the authority to update the voter list at any time.
