Although steps have been taken to hold local government elections on a non-partisan basis, political parties have begun announcing candidates in advance, with early campaigning already under way.
Jamaat-e-Islami and its alliance partner, the National Citizen Party (NCP), have already announced mayoral candidates for the Dhaka North and South city corporation elections.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives State Minister Mir Shahe Alam has named BNP candidates in several areas.
Parliament Chief Whip Md Nurul Islam Moni has said his party will field single candidates in local elections.
Several BNP lawmakers, including the chief whip, have publicly warned that there will be no development if voters do not elect their candidates.
Election experts fear that such positions taken by political parties will undermine the main purpose of holding elections on a non-partisan basis.
Election expert Md Abdul Alim told TIMES, “The purpose of non-partisan symbols is to keep parties out of the election. There is ambiguity in the law over the specific definition of a non-partisan election and the role of parties, which the political parties are taking advantage of.”
Before the Awami League came to power in 2009, local government elections were not held on a party basis, but the Awami League government later decided to hold these grassroots elections using party symbols.
In 2015, hundreds of people died in violence during party nominations and campaigning for union parishad, upazila parishad, municipality and city corporation elections.
Before the law was amended, many local government experts supported holding local elections using party symbols although following violence and deaths, these symbols were identified by many for triggering the mayhem.
After the mass uprising of 5 August 2024, the Local Government Reform Commission, formed under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, recommended that local elections should not be held on a party basis.
Most political parties, including the BNP and Jamaat, supported holding elections without party symbols. The government subsequently issued an ordinance providing the legal framework for non-partisan elections, which the BNP approved after coming to power.
However, Badiul Alam Majumdar, former head of the Electoral System Reform Commission, described the current situation, despite the legal changes, as “the same old wine in a new bottle”.
Asked about the issue by TIMES, party leaders claimed they were not formally nominating candidates but merely announcing their support.
Local Government State Minister Mir Shahe Alam recently told journalists at an event in Bogura, “Although under the new law there is no scope to formally give anyone a party nomination in the elections, parties can support candidates of their choice.”
NCP Political Council member Sarwar Tushar told TIMES, “There is no scope to give nominations in local government elections although there is scope to support.”
The NCP leader believes there is a distinction between nominating and supporting a candidate.
According to Badiul Alam Majumdar, political parties may not be directly violating the letter of the law but are undermining its fundamental purpose.
He told TIMES, “The main reason for removing party symbols was to create an environment free from party influence in elections. But in practice, announcing candidates on a party basis without symbols is a repetition of the same old practice.”
Election expert Abdul Alim contends, “The law has no specific definition of a non-political election plus the role of parties which the latter (political parties) are exploiting.”
This situation has basically arisen because of flaws in the law and rule, he added.
At a recent press conference, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, said, “Candidates are being announced by various parties, which is worrying.”
Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud told TIMES, “It’s natural for political parties to support their preferred candidates; the Election Commission’s main responsibility is to hold a fair election instead of looking into party endorsements.”
The Election Commission has announced that local government elections will begin on 22 January next year, with union parishad polls to be held in five phases.
The commission plans to complete these elections by June.
Municipality and city corporation elections are scheduled to follow.
Since the July mass uprising, local government bodies other than union parishads have been dissolved and are being run by administrators instead of elected representatives.
Media reports have highlighted the difficulties citizens face in accessing services.
Union Parishad chairmen and members, belonging to the Awami League are now absconding; during their absence, these are being run by administrative officials.
