Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has told Parliament that elections to all local government institutions, including Union Parishads, municipalities, upazila parishads, zila parishads and city corporations, will be completed within one year.
He said the election process is likely to begin in phases from September or October this year, after the monsoon season.
The minister told Parliament on Tuesday during the question-and-answer session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.
In response to a written question from ruling party MP Md Mostafizur Rahman Babul, the minister said elections would be held in phases based on budget availability, with Union Parishad polls likely to be held first, followed by other local government bodies.
He added that elections to 13 city corporations, including the newly formed Bogura City Corporation, are also planned to be completed within the same timeframe.
The minister said the necessary allocation for local government elections has already been included in the current national budget.
He further said the Election Commission has been informed about determining election expenditure, and that the Local Government Division, the Election Commission and the Ministry of Finance will jointly prepare election schedules in the next fiscal year.
Meanwhile, the government is implementing short, medium and long-term measures to address waterlogging in the capital, the minister told Parliament.
In a written reply to opposition MP Md Abul Kalam, he said short-term measures include cleaning and removing silt and waste from drains, box culverts and canals, using portable pumps for drainage, operating existing pump stations, installing catch pits and gratings, raising public awareness and forming ward-based emergency response teams.
He said medium-term plans include canal restoration and improvement projects, under which major canal development work is ongoing.
These include the construction of outlets to discharge water from Zia Sarani and Shyampur canals into the Buriganga River, along with ongoing drainage infrastructure development.
Under long-term planning, around 50 kilometres of canals will be developed, drainage and road networks in 18 newly incorporated wards will be improved, additional outlets and pump stations will be constructed, and solid waste management will be modernised, he said.
Responding to a separate question from ruling party MP Nilufar Chowdhury Moni, the minister said the daily water demand in Dhaka North and South City Corporations stands at 320 to 325 crore litres, while Dhaka WASA’s current production capacity is 295 to 300 crore litres.
He added that water quality is ensured through modern chemical treatment methods and regular testing in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. Dhaka WASA collects and tests 40 to 50 water samples daily from different areas of the capital.
