Local government elections to be held in phases, may end in 2027

The government has said that local government elections across the country may start in phases from September or October this year. There is a plan to complete the elections at all levels - union councils, municipalities, upazila councils, district councils and city corporations - in phases.

On Tuesday (June 23), Prime Minister's Information and Broadcasting Advisor Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman gave this information at the weekly press briefing of the Directorate of Information. He said that some misunderstandings have been created regarding the recent statement of Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, which needs to be cleared up.

Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman said that the local government election process may start after the monsoon season ends, that is, from September or October. However, the plan to complete the elections within the next one year means completing all levels of voting within the next one year from the start of the elections.

He also said that there are a large number of institutions at different levels of the local government system in Bangladesh. Especially since the number of union parishads is very large, it is not possible to organize all the elections at once. For this reason, a plan has been taken to organize the elections in stages.

According to the government's plan, if the election process begins in September or October 2026, efforts will be made to complete the entire process by 2027. This will include the union parishad, municipality, upazila parishad, district parishad and city corporation elections.

He also said that preparations will be made to organize the elections in coordination with the Election Commission and relevant administrative agencies. The government's goal is to make local government institutions more effective through fair, peaceful and participatory elections.

According to political analysts, if the local government elections begin after a long time, new momentum may come in public representation and administrative activities at the local level. However, the schedule and formal announcement of the election will now depend on the decision of the Election Commission.

The government's plan for the local government elections has also created new discussions in the political arena. Relevant sources have indicated that a more detailed roadmap may be released in the next few months.