Why is the demand to hold local govt elections first being raised again?

At the beginning of this year, there was considerable political debate over whether the national or the local government elections should be held first. However, facing strong opposition from BNP, the issue eventually fizzled out.

Recently, however, several political parties have renewed their demand for local government elections to be held prior to the national elections. This renewed demand has sparked curiosity within political circles regarding whether this has any strategic motive.

Three parties - Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Gono Odhikar Parishad - have clearly stated last week that they favour holding the local government elections before the national elections.

BNP has consistently demanded national elections before local government elections. However, since the recent resurgence of the demand for local elections first, BNP has not given an official statement on the matter.

BNP is currently strongly pushing for national elections to be held by December. It has initiated discussions with its allies in the simultaneous movement to bring all parties together and exert pressure on the interim government.

On 23 April, a meeting was held between Islami Andolon Bangladesh and Gono Odhikar Parishad. Following the meeting, the Amir of Islami Andolon, Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim and the President of Gono Odhikar Parishad, Nurul Haque, separately announced that both parties had reached a consensus regarding the holding of local government elections prior to the national elections.

Providing justification for this stance, Nurul Haque stated on that day, “Over the past eight months, the absence of local government representatives has caused considerable suffering for the public in accessing services. Certain individuals are forcibly asserting dominance. Therefore, holding local elections could provide some relief to the people. Moreover, time is needed to implement reforms before the national elections and there is also a need for national consensus. At the very least, local elections could be held beforehand.”

It was primarily through this meeting and these statements that the demand for holding local government elections first resurfaced.

Within two days of the meeting between Islami Andolon and Gono Odhikar Parishad, on 25 April, the Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami, Shafqur Rahman called upon the Election Commission (EC) to hold local government elections before national elections. He made this appeal while addressing a party event at the circuit house grounds in Mymensingh city.

On that day, Shafiqur Rahman stated, “An election commission has been formed. They stated that they would deliver the best election in history. We would like to witness their acid test (trial by fire). Before the national parliamentary election, which will determine the governance of the country for the next five years, the public is currently suffering due to the absence of local government representatives in various areas. First, hold the local government elections. Let us see the extent of your goodwill and capability. Present evidence of this.”

Although no formal statement has been issued by the party, the newly-formed National Citizen Party (NCP) is also advocating local government elections before the national elections. Leaders from various levels of the party have recently expressed this demand to different media outlets.

The demand for holding local government elections first became a major topic of discussion initially in January-February of this year.

On 6 January, the local government reform commission held a meeting with journalists at the conference room of the National Institute of Local Government (NILG) in Dhaka.

During the discussion, the head of the commission, Professor Tofail Ahmed, stated that although discussions at the national level are focused on parliamentary elections, outside Dhaka, public opinion strongly priotises local government elections. The local government reform commission observed this sentiment during its outreach beyond Dhaka.

On 8 January, during a meeting with Nicola Beer, vice president of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus indicated that the interim government was preparing for both the national parliamentary elections and the local government elections.

Against this backdrop, the National Citizen Committee (the former platform of NCP leaders) and the Anti-discrimination Student movement expressed support for holding local government elections before the national elections.

On 18 February, local government Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan stated that he personally supports holding local government elections before the national parliamentary elections. However, he also clarified that no final decision had yet been made by the government regarding this matter.

On the other hand, BNP leaders have consistently been vocal in opposing the holding of local government elections first. From the outset, they have demanded that national elections be held beforehand.

In January-February of this year, leaders from various political parties exchanged opposing views regarding the sequencing of local government elections.

Following the formal launch of the NCP on 28 February, some of the party’s leaders spoke at various gatherings during the month of Ramadan in March, advocating for local government elections to be held before national elections.

For instance, on 19 March, Hasnat Abdullah, Chief Organiser of NCP for the Southern Region, presented arguments in favour of holding local elections before national elections during a mass iftar event at the Shashongachha Bus terminal in the suburbs of Cumilla.

However, after the party’s formation, senior NCP leaders placed greater emphasis on the demand for constituent assembly elections rather than prioritising local government elections.

From the beginning, BNP leaders have strongly criticised the demand for holding local government elections first. Some allied parties have echoed the BNP’s stance. Faced with BNP’s opposition, most other parties also effectively withdrew their demands for local government elections to be held prior to national elections.

The government, too, refrained from making further statements on the matter. Consequently, discussions on the issue subsided after February.

Before Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Gono Odhikar Parishad recently revived the issue, the Local Government Reform Commission submitted its final report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on 20 April.

During the post-submission press briefing, journalists asked the commission what recommendations they made regarding local government elections? In response, commission Chairman and local government expert Professor Tofail Ahmed stated that they had deliberately refrained from making any specific recommendations on this issue.

Instead, they suggested that the government and political parties should reach a consensus. Both local government elections and national parliamentary elections are important. To suggest that if one is held, the other cannot be conducted, is an unfounded claim. Both must be conducted. However, the Commission did express a preference for local government elections to be held without delay.

In January and February of this year, the demand for holding local government elections before national elections was one of the most widely discussed topics in political circles. However, during Ramadan in March and in the weeks following Eid-ul-Fitr, discussions on the matter noticeably declined. The recent revival of this demand, which had largely faded from the political agenda, has sparked curiosity in political circles.

Sources within the BNP suggest that holding local government elections before national elections could lead to widespread disorder across the country. Such a situation might cause delays to the national elections.

Moreover, local government elections could intensify internal conflicts and divisions within the party at grassroots levels. These disruptions could negatively impact the party’s performance in the upcoming national elections. Considering the overall situation, the BNP has adopted a strong position in favour of holding national elections by December.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Senior Joint Secretary General of the BNP, told Prothom Alo, “Since there is freedom of speech now, various parties are able to express their views. Therefore, everyone is presenting their respective opinions. However, the BNP firmly believes that the national election should be held first. It is noteworthy that during the caretaker government era, no local government elections were held under its administration either.”

On the other hand, leaders of the parties advocating for local government elections first argue that such elections could allow candidates from parties other than the BNP to achieve favourable results. Their visibility and presence at grassroots levels would be strengthened, thereby placing their parties in a more advantageous position. They contend that BNP’s opposition to local government elections stems from this concern.

Questions are being raised as to whether the renewed push for local government elections is a strategic move to exert pressure on the BNP, or an indication of a new polarisation in politics centred around the forthcoming national elections. There is also speculation regarding whether there is any internal consensus among the parties advocating for local government elections to be held first.

Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman Joint Secretary General of Islami Andolon Bangladesh told Prothom Alo that it is not that they have newly raised the demand. His party has been vocal on this issue from the outset. They have consistently advocated local government elections to be held under an interim government prior to the national elections. According to him, during the tenure of party government, members of parliament tend to install their own associates or relatives into positions within local government, thereby rendering the local government ineffective.

Furthermore, the Islami Andolon leader asserted that there has been no inner agreement with other parties also demanding local government elections first. He explained that the government is becoming increasingly active and the consensus commission is currently working. Taking all these factors into account, they felt it was necessary to reassert their stance. Alongside voicing their own position, they are also encouraging like-minded parties to advocate the same.