Dhaka, Oct 1 (V7N) – The Election Commission (EC) will take a decision on holding the local government elections after assessing the ground realities, EC Senior Secretary Akhter Ahmed said here today.
He said preparations for the local government elections are already underway, with the voter list ready, necessary electoral materials available and polling centres already prepared. The secretary made the remarks while briefing journalists after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A.M.M. Nasir Uddin and a delegation from UNESCO at the commission headquarters.
Factors to Consider
"We have to understand the local realities. These include the SSC examinations, Ramadan, various religious festivals and national events. We will come up with a proper solution after taking these issues into consideration," he said.
Responding to a question about the election schedule, the EC secretary said the State Minister for Local Government had spoken about holding the local government elections between January and June. "We have received a good reference. Based on that, we may be able to move forward with the remaining work," he said, adding that he would inform the commission about the matter and provide the necessary reference.
UNESCO Meeting
Regarding the meeting with the UNESCO delegation, Akhter Ahmed said the commission has a project with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) related to ballots. "The project includes arrangements for training. The delegation came to discuss with the CEC how different issues could be incorporated into their training programme and how their work plan could be advanced," he said.
He added that discussions were also held on arranging training for media personnel, members of law-enforcement agencies, officials of the Election Commission Secretariat and field-level election officials.
Inter-Ministerial Meeting
The EC secretary further said an inter-ministerial meeting was held on September 17, where various opinions and proposals were presented, including suggestions concerning the election timetable. "Our colleagues have also made various proposals. Therefore, I do not think we can reach a conclusive decision based solely on those proposals at this stage," he said.
Background
The Election Commission has been preparing for local government elections across the country, including elections to municipalities and city corporations. The government has emphasized its commitment to holding free, fair, and participatory local elections to strengthen democratic institutions at the grassroots level. The EC has been working on finalizing the election schedule in consultation with all stakeholders, taking into account various logistical and administrative considerations.
