NATIONAL elections dominate political discussion in Bangladesh and local elections often get somewhat overshadowed. Yet, it is these grassroots elections that determine who is responsible for building local roads, managing waste, supervising sanitation services, ensuring safe water, responding to emergencies and providing many of the public services that people need on a daily basis. Local government is, in fact, the closest link between the state and its citizens.
Following the July mass uprising, administrators were appointed to various local government bodies in order to maintain public service delivery. As a result, until new elections are held, the majority of local government institutions are currently operating under administrative arrangements without any elected representatives. As soon as the result of the 13th national election was announced, discussion regarding the timing of the local government elections gained both public and media traction. With various speculations and expectations hanging in the air, the upcoming local elections remain an important subject in the current political discourse.
Both the minister and the state minister of the ministry of local government, rural development and co-operatives have repeatedly emphasised the government’s commitment to holding the elections at the earliest opportunity — preferably within a year. The Election Commission is also preparing at full pace. It will be worth watching how much budgetary allocation is set aside for local government elections in the upcoming budget. Meanwhile, several newspaper reports have suggested that the post-monsoon period could be a convenient time for these elections to begin.
As discussions over these elections continue, some questions naturally arise. What exactly are local governments? How are their representatives elected? And how do they differ from national polls?
The roots of modern local government in Bangladesh can be traced back to the Bengal Local Self-Government Act of 1885. The system subsequently evolved through the colonial, Pakistan and post-independence periods. Over time, successive governments introduced reforms aimed at improving decentralisation, service delivery and local participation. The most recent changes came through the ordinance bills of the interim government. The amendment bills for municipalities, city corporations, union parishads, upazila parishads and zila parishads were passed in the first sitting of the 13th Parliament.
These bills formalised some of the recommendations of the interim government’s reform commission, allowing the appointment of administrators to local bodies for an indefinite period under special circumstances. Meanwhile, the Election Commission plans to ban campaign posters, remove electronic voting machine (EVM) provisions and abolish party symbols to ensure neutral and peaceful local government polls.
The local government system in Bangladesh consists of separate tiers of rural and urban local institutions. In rural regions, local governance follows a three-tier system: the union parishad at the grassroots level, the upazila parishad at the sub-district level and the zila parishad at the district level. Urban areas are governed by city corporations in large cities and municipalities in smaller towns. The Chittagong Hill Tracts region has its own special governance and local government structure, with a separate ministry overseeing it, unlike the plains regions of the country.
Elections in these institutions are held every five years. Separate laws govern how each of these elections is conducted.
Union parishad
The union parishad (union council) is the lowest tier of local government and serves as the most direct link between the state and rural citizens. Each union parishad consists of 13 members: a directly elected chairman, nine ward members and three members elected to reserved seats for women. All representatives are elected through direct voting by local citizens. The union parishad chairman spearheads local development initiatives and addresses various needs of the community.
Upazila parishad (sub-district council)
THE upazila parishad is another significant tier as far as decentralisation and the devolution of power are concerned. It replaced one of the oldest administrative institutions in Bangladesh, the thana. Generally, an upazila corresponds to a thana, although in some areas two thanas have been combined into a single upazila.
Each upazila parishad has one chairman and two vice-chairmen, one of whom is reserved for a woman. They are elected through direct voting. Ex-officio members comprise all union parishad chairmen, pourashava mayors (where applicable) and one-third of the women holding reserved seats in all unions and pourashavas within the upazila (where applicable).
The upazila parishad chairman exercises the executive authority of the parishad and presides over its meetings. He serves as the elected political head of the upazila parishad, while the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) represents the central bureaucracy. There are 17 committees within the parishad, operating under the supervision of the chairman and in coordination with the UNO.
Members of parliament perform advisory roles in upazilas. Recently, a decision was made to establish ‘inspection rooms’ in upazila parishad buildings for MPs. The initiative has sparked discussion on how elected representatives and local government institutions can coordinate more effectively in pursuing development objectives.
Zila parishad (district council)
BANGLADESH has 64 districts. Each district is headed by a zila parishad chairman, who serves as the political head of the zila parishad, whereas the deputy commissioner functions as the administrative representative of the central government.
Each zila parishad consists of one chairman, 15 members and five reserved seats for women. Elected representatives from the upazila and union parishads within the district cast their votes to elect these leaders. Zila parishad elections do not involve direct voting by the public. Unlike other tiers, members are elected by an electoral college comprising upazila and union representatives.
Historically, zila parishad elections have been less frequent. Over the years, policymakers and researchers have discussed ways to further clarify the respective roles of zila parishads and district administrations in order to strengthen institutional effectiveness.
Municipality (pourashava) and city corporation
A MUNICIPALITY or city corporation consists of a mayor and a fixed number of general councillors, with one-third of the seats reserved for women. General councillors are elected from individual wards within the municipality or city corporation, female councillors from areas covering three wards each and the mayor by voters across the entire jurisdiction. In city corporations, there is usually a chief executive officer, typically a deputy secretary of the government, who remains accountable to the mayor.
Voters in every ward are entitled to cast three ballots: one for the mayor, one for the general ward councillor and one for a designated female councillor.
Notably, as rural regions undergo rapid development, a growing number of unions are being reclassified as municipalities.
Recently, the National Implementation Committee for Administrative Reform (NICAR), chaired by prime minister Tarique Rahman, approved the formation of Bogura City Corporation. With the issuance of the official gazette notification, the 150-year-old Bogura Municipality became Bangladesh’s 13th city corporation, joining Dhaka South, Dhaka North, Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barishal, Sylhet, Narayanganj, Cumilla, Rangpur, Gazipur and Mymensingh.
Hill district council
The Chittagong Hill Tracts follows a special local governance model tailored to its unique ethnic, geographic and historical context. It has an additional layer of governance created under the framework of the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord. Each of the three districts — Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban — has an autonomous hill district council instead of a conventional zila parishad. These councils, with elected members and reserved indigenous representation, manage key sectors such as education, health, land and culture. Overseeing them is the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council, which coordinates development and acts as a bridge between the region and the central government.
While the structures and electoral processes of these institutions vary, they all serve a common purpose: bringing governance closer to the people. At its core, local government is a mechanism for grassroots development, responsive service delivery and citizen participation. A robust local government system will not only ensure seamless public service delivery but also effectively tackle emerging challenges posed by climate change and contribute meaningfully to achieving the sustainable development goals.
The principle of subsidiarity — which suggests that decisions should be taken at the most local level possible — remains central to strengthening local democracy. In practice, Bangladesh has made notable progress in expanding local institutions, while discussions continue regarding the scope of administrative and financial autonomy that could further enhance their effectiveness.
Articles 59 and 60 of the constitution, which outline the functions and powers of local government, clearly state how representatives from these bodies are to be elected in accordance with the law. Article 11 further emphasises the importance of people’s participation in electing their representatives.
The BNP’s election manifesto also emphasises the importance of strengthening local government with the aim of solving local problems at the local level. It seeks to bring greater accountability to these institutions by establishing people’s power through direct elections.
The upcoming local government elections are, therefore, about more than simply filling vacant offices. Empowering these institutions is not merely an administrative necessity; it is a catalyst for national development.
Ashraful Islam Faysal is public relations officer at the state minister’s office, ministry of local government, rural development and co-operatives. He writes in his personal capacity.
