Govt moves towards non-partisan local govt elections

The government is moving towards introducing a non-partisan system in local government elections, replacing the current practice of contests under party symbols.

A proposal has been made to abolish elections under party symbols across all tiers of local government, including city corporations, upazilas, municipalities and union parishads.

Preparations are underway to incorporate provisions from an ordinance left behind by the interim government into the new law. The Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2026 is set to be placed before a cabinet meeting for approval. Once endorsed, the bill will be sent to the Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament).

Under the proposed law, the authority to remove mayors and councillors in special circumstances will remain with the Ministry of Local Government. It will also retain the provision allowing the government to appoint administrators to city corporations when necessary.

Mahmudul Hasan, an additional secretary at the Ministry of Local Government, told Prothom Alo that the interim government had scrapped the provision allowing local elections to be held under party symbols. The clauses contained in the ordinance approved during that period are now being presented to the current cabinet for approval.

“If the clauses are approved, the proposal will be forwarded to the Parliament Secretariat. Parliament will decide whether local elections will be held under party symbols or as non-partisan contests. The local government ministry is simply placing the provisions left by the interim government before the cabinet,” he said.

Sources at the ministry said that until the law is passed in parliament, no final decision will be taken regarding the use of party symbols in local government elections.

The draft Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2026 recommends repealing several provisions of the amended 2015 law.

For instance, the ministry has proposed scrapping Section 32A of the 2015 amendment introduced during the Awami League government. That section required candidates contesting the mayoral post to be either nominated by a political party or run as an independent candidate.

The proposal also calls for the repeal of Section 35 of the amended law, which outlined various provisions relating to participation by candidates representing political parties.

However, the new law recommends retaining Sections 13A and 25A.

Section 13A allows the government to remove mayors and councillors in special circumstances in the public interest. Section 25A authorises the government to appoint an administrator to a city corporation if required.

The Awami League government introduced elections under party symbols for local government bodies through the 2015 amendment.

Critics argue that holding local government elections along partyline triggered widespread nomination trading, increased electoral violence and discouraged respected local figures from contesting elections.

That is why, for years, various political parties and election experts have called for abolishing the use of party symbols in local government polls.

Both the Electoral System Reform Commission and the Local Government Reform Commission recommended scrapping party symbols. Acting on those recommendations, the interim government issued an ordinance in July last year repealing the provision.

The current government has decided to retain that arrangement.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) returned to power with a landslide victory in the 13th parliamentary elections, and preparations for local government polls have now begun. Political parties have started gearing up for the contests.

Sources at the local government ministry said the election process will begin with city corporation polls. However, the law must first be passed during the parliamentary session scheduled to begin on 12 March.

Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of the civil society organisation SHUJAN (Citizens for Good Governance), told Prothom Alo that party-based local elections had proved detrimental to the country.

“It has led to violence, a shortage of credible candidates and a rise in unqualified contenders,” he said, adding that non-partisan elections are essential to ensure the participation of respected and popular figures at the local level.