No compromise on credible local govt polls: State Minister

The government will not tolerate any controversy over the credibility of local government elections and will ensure free, fair and impartial polls without interference from the administration, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam has said.

“We are not willing to take even the slightest stain over these elections,” he told journalists at the Secretariat on Tuesday, ahead of a preparatory meeting on organising a gathering of village police.

The state minister said the government had instructed field-level civil and police officials, and would reiterate the directives if necessary, to follow the Election Commission’s instructions and ensure equal opportunities for all candidates.

“The government and the administration will not interfere in local government elections,” he said, adding that the government would extend the necessary support to the Election Commission to ensure credible polls.

Asked whether the upcoming elections could serve as a model after controversies surrounding previous polls, Shahe Alam said the government would focus on ensuring free, fair and impartial elections rather than describing them as a role model.

He said the government wanted voters to participate in the elections in a festive atmosphere and pledged full cooperation with the Election Commission throughout the process.

The government has again urged the Election Commission to complete five categories of local government elections within the current fiscal year, including polls to city corporations, municipalities, upazilas and union parishads.

Around Tk 6,000 crore has been allocated for holding the elections, the state minister said.

“The government’s decision remains unchanged. We have requested the Election Commission to arrange the elections by June,” he said.

Responding to a question about whether the remaining polls could be completed by June if union parishad elections continued until May, Shahe Alam said the Election Commission was responsible for determining the schedule and assessing whether the proposed timeline was feasible.

He warned that if the elections could not be held within the current fiscal year, the allocated funds would remain unspent and be carried over to the next fiscal year.

“The responsibility for conducting elections rests with the Election Commission, not the government,” he said, reiterating the government’s request to complete all local government polls by June.

Shahe Alam again urged the Election Commission to complete the polls within the current fiscal year, stressing that the final decision on the schedule and its implementation rested with the commission.

Meanwhile, the EC plans to spend Tk 72.32 crore on election materials, printing documents and awareness campaigns for the upcoming local government elections, with Union Parishad polls expected to begin in January next year.

Although the election dates have yet to be finalised, the commission plans to start procuring election materials on October 12, with the process continuing until June 17 next year. Purchases for Upazila Parishad elections are scheduled from January 8 to June 17.