LGRD minister defends decision about local elections on party lines, says the move will prevent violence

LGRD Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain says he believes organising local government election on party lines will prevent violence in the polls.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 13 Oct 2015, 04:28 PM
Updated : 13 Oct 2015, 04:28 PM

He defended the government’s decision a day after the Cabinet cleared amendments to a law paving way for holding elections to local government bodies with political symbols.
 
Local polls were non-partisan until now but their nature will be like parliamentary polls after the law is amended.
 
But various organisations have been opposing the move, saying many non-partisan candidates will be discouraged to join the fray.
 
Some others fear the move might increase violence in local polls.
 
“There won’t be any violence,” Minister Hossain told reporters, replying to a question, on Tuesday. “There’s no scope for it,” he claimed.
 
He said local polls were always partisan in nature although they were officially non-partisan.
 
“We’ve made it official now. Let the polls be held along party lines,” he said. “We’ve taken democracy to the grassroots.”
 
“We’ve encouraged the independent candidates. They can contest polls if they want,” Minister Hossain said, replying to a question.
 
He believed more independent candidates would contest the polls than the party-endorsed aspirants.
 
The BNP, which boycotted the last general election, has dubbed the move a ‘conspiracy’ on the part of the government.
 
Hossain skirted a direct reply when asked whether the BNP was being encouraged to take part in the polls.
 
“We’re not bringing in any sheaf [of paddy] in the polls, the political parties will contest the polls,” he said.
 
Sheaf of paddy is the BNP’s logo.
 
“If anyone sees malicious intentions behind any good initiative it’s their perception,” he said about the BNP’s opposition to the move.
 
“There’s not much we can do about it.”