Local government polls schedule likely in August, polls in October: EC

The Election Commission (EC) has completed preparations to hold local government elections in phases from October, with the schedule for the first phase expected to be announced either by the end of July or in August, Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar has said.

He made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the Election Commission headquarters on Wednesday (22 July).

Anwarul Islam said priority in the first phase would be given to local government bodies that have been without elected representatives for an extended period and whose terms have already expired. Depending on the law and order situation, upazila and union parishad elections may be held simultaneously.

He also said that postal voting for overseas Bangladeshis will not be available for the upcoming local government elections. In addition, no decision has yet been taken on introducing educational qualifications for candidates. The matter will be considered further after reviewing relevant court directives and the legal frameworks of neighbouring countries.

The election commissioner said there was no risk of the polls being delayed because of proposed legal amendments. If the amended legislation comes into force in time, the elections will be conducted under the new provisions; otherwise, they will proceed under the existing law as scheduled.

He added that the review of the electoral code of conduct is almost complete and will soon be sent to the Ministry of Law for final approval. The EC also plans to enforce strict monitoring to prevent election-related violence and to clarify legal ambiguities surrounding the eligibility of city corporation administrators to contest local government elections.