Local government elections after decision on symbol: State Minister

Local government elections will be arranged after the National Parliament decides whether to hold elections with party symbols or not, said State Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Ministry Mir Shahe Alam MP.

He said that there will be no elections until the issue of the symbol is resolved, but local government elections will be held as soon as possible if it is passed in the form of a law in Parliament.

State Minister Mir Shahe Alam said this in response to questions from journalists after exchanging views with Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) officials and employees on Tuesday (March 3).

Senior officials of SCC were present at the exchange of views chaired by SCC Administrator Abdul Qaiyum Chowdhury.

The State Minister said that during the previous government, the law was changed and elections were held with national symbols or party symbols in local government elections, and that has been questioned a lot.

He said that the interim government has issued an ordinance regarding the election with a general symbol without party symbols. The ordinance will be presented in Parliament on March 12. It will be decided on that day which ordinances the Parliament will accept or reject.

In response to another question from a journalist whether administrators will be appointed as councilors in wards like the mayor of the City Corporation, the State Minister said that administrators will also be given at the ward level if the decision is taken at the national level.

After discussing all the ongoing and under-processed projects in the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC), the State Minister gave instructions to take up new projects including waterlogging and canal excavation in Sylhet.

Moreover, if the Surma River and Chhara or canal projects are presented anew, the ministry will send them to the ECNEC or Planning Commission and implement them as soon as possible, he said.

Earlier in the morning, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam arrived in Sylhet on a short visit. Later, he paid a visit to the Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) shrine.