Union Parishad Elections Expected Early Next Year, Minister Pledges Complete Neutrality

Bangladesh is expected to hold elections to its Union Parishads early next year, with Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir promising that the polls will be conducted in a completely free, fair and impartial manner.

The minister made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon while addressing a discussion organised by the Bangladesh Union Chairman-Member Association at the Institution of Diploma Engineers in the capital’s Kakrail area.

He said candidates would not receive preferential treatment because of their political affiliations, stressing that no one associated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat-e-Islami or any other political organisation would be given an unfair advantage.

Union Parishad chairpersons, general members and reserved female members would have to win public support and be elected through the people’s votes, he said.

“A free, fair and neutral election is the true foundation of democracy,” the minister said, adding that elected representatives should come to office with the genuine confidence and affection of their communities.

Mirza Fakhrul also emphasised the importance of strengthening local government institutions, saying that stronger local administrations would help reinforce both democracy and the country as a whole.

He said Bangladesh had expected to establish an effective and empowered local government system after its independence in 1971, but that objective had not been fully achieved. The government now wanted to make local institutions stronger and more accountable, he added.

The minister also warned against attempts to create political and social divisions in the name of religion. He said people should remain faithful to their own religious beliefs while showing equal respect to followers of other faiths.

“Religion belongs to the individual, but the state belongs to everyone,” he said, urging political and social groups not to use religion as a source of division.

During the programme, the minister also criticised the country’s previous electoral practices. However, he placed particular emphasis on ensuring that the upcoming Union Parishad elections are credible, competitive and impartial.