Local govt polls on the cards as preparations advance, says Minister Fakhrul

The LGRD minister says phased local government elections take 10 months to a year to complete

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has announced that the government plans to initiate the election process for local government bodies as soon as necessary preparations are completed.

Responding to a query from Mohammad Zahirul Islam, a Jamaat-e-Islami MP from Chattogram-16, during a question-and-answer session in parliament on Monday, the minister confirmed that the matter is under "active consideration".

The session was presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad.

Answering a supplementary question from independent MP Rumeen Farhana regarding the specific timeline for the polls, Fakhrul explained that local polls are typically held in phases.

"Past experience shows that completing all levels of elections in stages requires 10 months to a year," he said.

He noted that the Election Commission (EC) requires at least 45 days of pre-preparatory work before announcing a schedule.

This includes updating voter lists, procuring materials, and coordinating around religious festivals, public exams, weather conditions, and training for polling officials.

In response to a pointed question from BNP MP Shamshur Rahman Simul Biswas regarding "wasted tax money" on electronic voting machines (EVMs), the minister revealed that the controversial machines will no longer be used.

"In a meeting held on Jul 10, 2025, the EC decided not to use EVMs in any national or local elections," Fakhrul said.

Addressing allegations of corruption, the minister detailed that approximately Tk 38.25 billion was spent to purchase 150,000 EVMs through the Army under a project that ran from Jul 2018 to Jun 2024.

He confirmed that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is currently investigating the project and several audit objections remain unresolved.

The 150,000 machines are currently stored in various warehouses, the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory, and the EC Secretariat basement.

Responding to lawmaker Elias Molla, he informed the House that the Public Administration Reform Commission of the interim government formally recommended the formation of two new divisions -- Faridpur and Cumilla -- in December 2024.

The proposed Faridpur Division would comprise five districts currently under the Dhaka Division: Faridpur, Madaripur, Rajbari, Gopalganj, and Shariatpur.

A final decision will be made in an upcoming meeting of the National Implementation Committee for Administrative Reorganisation.