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Published : 19 May 2026, 03:16 PM
The government has announced plans to initiate local government elections across five phases, starting from September or October this year.
State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam outlined the roadmap during a press briefing at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
“The government is working towards completing all five major local government elections within the next one year," he said.
Asked which election would come first, he said the sequence would be determined by budget availability.
"Elections requiring larger budgets will be completed in later phases.”
He said he expected polls to begin after the monsoon season. "Elections in Bangladesh are festive occasions. Local government elections are even more so.”
Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir had said on May 5 that the government would try to hold local government elections "within the next one year”.
Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, however, said on Monday the timeline had not yet been finalised.
"Since the elections will not be held under party symbols, we need to reform certain rules and regulations. Once that work is done, we will sit with the government. The government has announced it wants to begin this year -- but that takes time," he said.
The state minister said the Election Commission (EC) had been written to for cost estimates for the five elections.
"They will submit budget proposals accordingly. Once the budget is approved, we will complete the five local government elections in phases from September or October," he said, adding that elections for all 13 city corporations would also be held within the same period.
Alam reiterated the government's resolve to keep the democratic process active by holding these elections within a fixed timeframe.
Once budget allocation comes through, the final schedule and preparatory work will be taken forward in coordination with the EC, the local government ministry, the Finance Division, and other relevant departments.
On other parties already naming candidates along party lines, Alam said the BNP would play it differently.
"Other parties are preparing along party lines. Since this election will not be partisan, our people will contest independently.”
“The BNP is a major political party. We are always ready for movements, elections, and votes. We do not need to prepare from scratch," he added.
