No scope for AL (activities banned) to participate in local govt elections: State Minister

As an organisation, whose activities have been banned in the country, Awami League will not be allowed to participate in elections, said State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam.

He made this remark on Friday, after an event releasing fish fry into a pond at the Shibganj Upazila Parishad premises in Bogura.

The State Minister for Local Government said, "Until the ban on this party is lifted, the fascist Awami League and its affiliated organisations have no right to participate in any political programme in Bangladesh, let alone run in elections. If they do so, they will be brought under the law. Law enforcement agencies will take action against them."

The State Minister for Local Government also stated that he feels embarrassed when questioned about a banned organisation. "It is neither right nor appropriate to ask questions about Awami League at this moment. Awami League is a banned organisation," he said.

Mir Shahe Alam further said, "Since the activities of the Awami League is banned, they do not have the right to participate in elections party-wise. They also have no right to hold any meetings, rallies or processions. They do not even have the scope to conduct political activities by opening party offices."

Explaining the government's stance on local government elections, the State Minister stated that democratic institutions and the electoral system in the country were damaged during the previous autocratic regime. One of the main mandates of the current government is to conduct elections across five tiers of local government in a free, fair and neutral manner.

There is a clear directive from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to make these elections acceptable to the people at all costs. An allocation of nearly Tk 60 billion has been kept in the budget for this purpose. The election commission is taking all the necessary preparations.

Referring to legal changes in local government elections, Mir Shahe Alam said that under the amended law, there is no scope to use party nominations or party symbols in local government elections this time. The elections will be held on completely non-partisan and general symbols.

However, the State Minister stated that the BNP has made a policy decision to endorse single candidates to maintain the party's ‘chain of command’ at the grassroots level.

He said that if there are multiple candidates in any union, attempts will be made to reach an understanding at the local level. Otherwise, organisational action may be taken for breach of party discipline.

Regarding the commencement of work on major development projects in Bogura, including an EPZ (Export Processing Zone), an airport and the Bogura-Sirajganj railway line, Mir Shahe Alam said that only six months have passed in the government's tenure. Regular administrative processes for implementing large-scale projects take some time. However, Bogura will see visible progress on these projects by December, he said.

Earlier, the State Minister for Local Government inaugurated the programme by releasing fish fry into the Shibganj Upazila Parishad pond under the revenue sector for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Officials of the Shibganj upazila administration, local public representatives, teachers, students and political leaders were present at the event.

Later, the State Minister visited talent hunt examination centres for teachers and students in Shibganj and Mokamtola upazilas. In addition, to ensure safe commuting for students, he handed over two school buses in favour of Shibganj Grammar School and College and Betgari Mir Shahe Alam Girls' High School.