Local Government Reform Commission will propose arranging polls of all local government bodies including city corporation, municipalities, upazilas and union parishads on the same day aimed at reducing the polls related expenditures.
The chairman of the commission Dr. Tofayel Ahmed said this while exchanging views with the stakeholders on making the elections of local bodies fair and acceptable at a city hotel here this afternoon.
The commission is working to submit its report to the government within the stipulated time in the last week of February 2025, he said.
The commission will also make proposal to allow the government employees to compete in the local body polls, he said.
Dr. Tofayel said the stakeholders opined for arranging local government polls before the national election and demanded effective measures to keep the polls free from the influence of the parliament member of their constituencies.
Dr. Tofayel said according to the Election Commission around Taka 23,000 crore was spent for holding the local government polls during the previous Awami League government with engaging 19 lakhs manpower and consuming 225 days.
“It’s possible to hold the polls with a budget of only Taka 500 to 600 crore if polls are held on the same day across the country,” he observed.
“The commission will also make recommendation to fix minimum academic qualification of the candidatures, keep provision of ‘no vote’ and stringent measures to prevent use of muscle power in the election,” Tofayel said.
The stakeholders suggested changing the existing provision of using party symbol in the local body polls, he said.
“Local Government Reform Commission will work in coordination with the Election Reform Commission and Constitution Reform Commission to frame uniform laws to this end,” he added.
Members of the commission Prof. Ferdous Afrina Osman, Abdur Rahman, Dr. Mahfuz Kabir, Mashhuda Shefali Khatun, Prof. Dr. Tariqul Islam, Eliya Dewan, Prof. Dr. Kazi Maruful Islam, Divisional Commissioner Dr. Md Zia Uddin and Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanom were present.
