Union council polls to be held in October, schedule to be announced in August: Advisor Zahed

The government insists local government elections will start this year, the advisor says

Local government elections are set to begin in October, with the schedule for the polls to be announced in mid-August, Prime Minister's Information Advisor Zahed Ur Rahman has said.

The advisor made the remarks on Tuesday at a press briefing on ongoing government activities at the Secretariat.

"The Election Commission (EC) has prepared a preliminary roadmap ahead of the local government elections. Separate roadmaps have been drawn up for the union council, Upazila council, municipality, and city corporation elections. These may be finalised and published by the end of this month," the information advisor said.

"Plans are being made to announce the schedule in the second half of August and begin union council elections in the first half of October," he added.

Citing the EC, the advisor said the country has been divided into four zones – the Haor and northeastern region, hilly and coastal areas, riverine and Char areas, and plain and urban areas -- for the purpose of determining the timeline of the local government elections.

"Among these, the EC will begin its local government election activities with union council voting in the Haor and northeastern region," he said.

Zahed said, "This was always a widely discussed issue for us, whether local government elections would be held at all. Some tried to argue one way, since administrators have been appointed in many of these areas in many cases.

"But we have repeatedly said, our minister has always said, that they will begin this year; and as you know, elections require a particular amount of time. We try to hold a greater number of elections in the dry season, in the winter season."

He said if the local government elections can begin around October this year, all of the elections could be completed by October next year.