Bangladesh’s Election Commission (EC) has been informed by government officials that Union Parishad elections cannot be held this year, despite the commission’s preliminary plan to begin voting in November. Officials said they may need up to one month to determine how long preparations for the polls would take.
The EC held an inter-ministerial meeting on Thursday on preparations for local government elections and the Thakurgaon-1 parliamentary by-election. Secretaries from relevant ministries cited several obstacles to holding local government polls immediately.
The meeting began after 2:30pm at the conference room of the Election Commission building in Agargaon, Dhaka, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin. It continued until 4pm.
Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abu Fazal Md Sanaullah said the commission first needed to identify available time for the elections.
“November and December have examinations, leaving little time in between. Some time may be available in January, but Ramadan begins in early February, followed by SSC examinations,” Sanaullah said after the meeting. “Some time will also be available after the SSC examinations end and before HSC examinations begin on June 6. The Union Parishad elections must be completed within this period. There was agreement on this at the meeting.”
The EC had held informal meetings on Sunday and Monday and announced possible dates for voting in seven phases: November 12 for the first phase, December 13 for the second, December 30 for the third, January 17 next year for the fourth, February 4 for the fifth, April 22 for the sixth, and May 27 for the seventh and final phase.
The commission had said the timeframe for the Union Parishad elections would be finalised at the inter-ministerial meeting.
All four election commissioners, along with the chief election commissioner, attended Thursday’s meeting. Cabinet Secretary, Public Administration Secretary, Education Secretary, the Inspector General of Police and secretaries from other ministries, as well as officials from different law enforcement agencies, were also present.
Multiple sources said ministry secretaries told the meeting that it would not be possible to hold Union Parishad elections this year. Police officials said they would need until around December to complete election-related training for law enforcement personnel.
Police began election training nationwide on Wednesday to prepare for local government elections.
According to meeting sources, the EC asked the secretaries when would be a convenient time to hold the polls. The Cabinet Secretary said the government was not prepared to conduct elections in November or December and might need one month to say how long preparations would require.
The Education Secretary said educational institutions had yet to fully recover from the effects of flooding. Teachers would also need training for election duties, the secretary said.
Annual examinations, scholarship examinations and other tests are scheduled at different levels in November and December, leaving teachers occupied, the Education Secretary said. Using educational institutions as polling centres could disrupt examinations, making elections during those months impossible.
The Cabinet Secretary also questioned the EC’s sudden announcement of possible Union Parishad election dates, sources said. The secretary said the EC had repeatedly stated it would consult all parties before taking decisions and that it would have been better to consult everyone before announcing potential dates.
Chief Election Commissioner Nasir Uddin responded that the schedule was entirely preliminary, according to the sources.
The Public Administration Secretary raised the issue of election funding, saying the Finance Secretary had not attended the meeting and questioning how a final decision could be made without discussing all matters.
Two election commissioners attending the meeting supported beginning Union Parishad elections this year, sources said.
Sanaullah said further work was needed because the gaps between the proposed dates were very short.
“The gaps between the possible dates this time are very short. We need to work further on how we can make all the arrangements within such a short period,” he said.
Asked whether the EC had moved away from its announced possible schedule, Sanaullah said: “Not at all.”
“I used three words: this is a possible schedule,” he said. “I also said it had been prepared based on a preliminary preparatory meeting. We said it would be finalised after the meeting on the 17th.”
Sanaullah said all participants had given their opinions on the EC’s initial plan and that the commission would discuss the matter internally.
Regarding other local government elections, Sanaullah said the EC would act in accordance with the law whenever necessary.
Sanaullah also said law enforcement deployment and technology similar to those used in parliamentary elections would be used for the Thakurgaon-1 by-election.
“All relevant forces, starting with the Army, will be there,” he said.
The Election Commission has cancelled a law-and-order meeting scheduled for September 21. A letter signed by EC Deputy Secretary Mohammad Monir Hossain said detailed discussions on law and order had already been held at Thursday’s meeting on the Thakurgaon-1 by-election and preparations for local government polls.
The letter was sent to the secretaries of the Public Administration Ministry and Local Government Ministry, the Senior Secretary of the Home Ministry, the Inspector General of Police, the Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division, and the directors general of Border Guard Bangladesh, Coast Guard, Ansar-VDP, DGFI, NSI, NTMC and RAB. It was also sent to additional inspectors general of the Special Branch, Detective Branch and Criminal Investigation Department.
