The Election Commission (EC) is set to amend local government election laws to disqualify individuals indicted by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) from contesting local polls, bringing the eligibility criteria in line with those for parliamentary elections.
The proposed amendments, prepared as part of the EC’s preparations for upcoming local government elections, would also make dual citizens ineligible to contest.
The draft amendments are scheduled to be placed before the commission on Tuesday, and if approved, they will be forwarded to the government.
Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said Section 20 (C) of the International Crimes Tribunal Act already disqualifies individuals named in an ICT chargesheet from contesting parliamentary elections, but the provision has so far been absent from local government election laws.
“That provision is now being incorporated into the local government election laws,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh.
He added that the disqualification would cease to apply if an accused person is discharged or acquitted by the tribunal.
Asked whether the proposed changes would prevent leaders and activists of banned political parties from contesting local polls, Masud said the elections would not be party-based.
“This is not a party-based election. Anyone who meets the legal eligibility criteria will be able to contest,” he said.
The commission has yet to decide on Jamaat-e-Islami’s proposal seeking to bar Awami League leaders and activists, alongside former ministers and lawmakers, from participating in the local elections.
Masud said eligibility would be determined strictly under the law, regardless of political affiliation.
Local government elections were previously held using party symbols under the Awami League government.
However, the interim government has decided that future local polls will be conducted without party symbols, potentially allowing individuals affiliated with the Awami League, whose political activities are currently banned, to contest independently if they meet the legal requirements.
EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told TIMES that the revised legal framework clearly provides that local government elections will not be held on party lines.
He also said the commission had published draft codes of conduct for five categories of local government elections-city corporations, district councils, upazila parishads, municipalities and union parishads-for public feedback.
“We received several recommendations, which have been reviewed at the secretariat level. They will now be placed before the commission for a final decision,” he said.
Akhtar added that work on the election conduct rules would begin after the legal amendments are finalised. The commission will decide later whether the rules require government approval.
EC officials said the proposed amendments would also expand the definition of law enforcement agencies, allowing the deployment of the armed forces during local government elections if necessary.
Officials noted that the commission had sought army deployment during the 2011 Narayanganj City Corporation election, but the request was not approved by the then Awami League government.
The EC is also considering requiring teachers of MPO-listed schools and colleges to resign before contesting local elections, arguing that participation by serving teachers could raise questions about institutional neutrality and affect academic administration if they are elected.
The draft amendments further propose disqualifying directors or partners of loan-defaulting companies and guarantors of defaulted loans from contesting elections.
In addition, candidates who deliberately submit false or misleading information in their affidavits could face cancellation of their nominations under the proposed legal changes.
