Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co‑operatives, today said the government is actively considering holding local government elections, adding that the process will begin swiftly once preparations are complete.
Responding to a question from Jamaat lawmaker Zahirul Islam during a parliamentary session, the minister said authorities are working on necessary groundwork before announcing any schedule. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad presided over the question-and-answer session.
Answering another query from independent MP Rumeen Farhana, the minister said local government elections are conducted in phases and may take between 10 months and a year to complete across all tiers.
He said several factors must be considered before announcing the schedule, including preparation of voter lists, procurement of election materials, religious festivals, public examinations, weather conditions, and the repair and finalisation of polling centres. Selection and training of election officials are also required.
At least 45 days are needed for pre-schedule preparations, he added.
In response to a question from Faridpur-1 MP Md Ilyas Mollah, the minister said the interim government’s Public Administration Reform Commission recommended in December 2024 the creation of two new divisions, Faridpur and Cumilla.
Under the proposal, Faridpur Division would include Faridpur, Madaripur, Rajbari, Gopalganj and Shariatpur districts, currently under Dhaka Division. The final decision will be taken by the National Implementation Committee on Administrative Reorganisation (NICAR).
Replying to a question from Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, the minister said a project to procure 150,000 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at a cost of Tk 3,825.34 crore was implemented between July 2018 and June 2024.
The machines were procured through the Bangladesh Army under a delegated purchase method, and the project has since been completed.
Although the completion report was submitted to the implementation evaluation department on May 13 last year, the evaluation report is still pending. The audit department has raised objections, which remain unresolved, while the Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating the matter, Fakhrul said.
The minister said the Election Commission Bangladesh has decided not to use EVMs in any upcoming national or local elections.
Currently, the machines are being stored in warehouses, at the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory, and in the basement of the Election Commission Secretariat.
