Political appointments undermine democracy
Al Mamun Harun Ur Rashid :
The appointment of senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders to administrative roles in six major city corporations has sparked intense controversy, with critics arguing that the move undermines democratic principles.
Within a week of assuming office, the BNP-led government replaced the technocratic administrators in Dhaka North, Dhaka South, Khulna, Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Sylhet with experienced party figures, triggering debates about the politicisation of city governance.
In Dhaka South, Abdus Salam, the president of Dhaka South BNP and former deputy mayor of the undivided Dhaka City Corporation, was appointed as the new administrator.
Shafiqul Islam Khan, a central vice-president of Juba Dal and former parliamentary
candidate, took charge in Dhaka North.
Khulna’s new administrator is Nazrul Islam Manju, BNP’s central organizing secretary and former Member of Parliament.
In Gazipur, Shawkat Hossain Sarkar, president of Gazipur City BNP, was appointed, while Sakhawat Hossain Khan, a senior BNP leader, assumed the position in Narayanganj while Abdul Kaiyum Chowdhury, Sylhet District BNP president, was named the administrator in Sylhet.
These appointments replace the technocratic and bureaucratic officials who had been managing the city corporations since the fall of the Awami League government in July 2024.
During the interim period, the technocrats were expected to manage the cities until local elections could be held.
Many observers view these changes as part of a strategic move by the BNP to strengthen its position ahead of upcoming mayoral elections.
By appointing seasoned political leaders to key administrative roles, the BNP is seen as positioning itself to secure a significant advantage in the upcoming elections, particularly in urban centers like Dhaka and Chattogram.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Election Commission is preparing to conduct local elections, and elections for Dhaka South, Dhaka North, and Chattogram City Corporations are expected to take place in the first phase.
The BNP government has expressed its commitment to holding elections “as soon as possible,” with analysts suggesting that appointing trusted party figures to important administrative posts is an attempt to solidify grassroots support and increase the party’s visibility ahead of the polls.
City corporations play a crucial role in urban governance, overseeing key services like infrastructure, waste management, and public health.
While administrators are not directly elected mayors, their roles provide an opportunity to build political networks and prepare for future electoral contests.
As such, even interim control of these institutions can shape political dynamics on the ground.
However, the move has drawn strong condemnation from opposition groups and civil society.
Gazi Ataur Rahman, Joint Secretary General of Islami Andolon Bangladesh, called the appointments a direct attack on democratic values.
“Appointing party leaders to these administrative roles undermines democratic values,” Rahman said, adding that the BNP’s actions have blurred the lines between governance and partisan interests.
Rahman noted that following the July 2024 mass uprising, when city mayors fled, local governments were left without leadership.
“We demanded immediate local elections, but due to the BNP’s opposition, elections were not arranged,” he said. “Instead, administrators were appointed as a political reward.”
He further lambasted the appointments, arguing that these new administrators, being party affiliates, would be accountable only to the BNP, not to the public.
“This contradicts democratic values. Local government institutions are now in the hands of individuals who have no accountability to the people,” Rahman said. “Public institutions should not be handed over as rewards for party loyalty.”
Rahman called for the cancellation of these appointments and urged the government to schedule local elections immediately, asserting, “Local government institutions should not become prize posts for party allegiance.”
Badiul Alam Majumder, a local government expert and member of the National Consensus Commission of the Interim Government, echoed similar sentiments for holding early elections.
He stressed that the government must fulfill its constitutional and legal obligation to hold local elections.
“The timeframe for holding elections for city corporations has already passed,” Majumder told the New Nation on Monday. “It is critical that elections are held as soon as possible to maintain democratic processes.”
As the Election Commission prepares to announce election dates, the debate over the political appointments remains heated.
Experts, however, warn that these appointments could further entrench political manipulation in urban governance.
They argue that placing party loyalists in administrative positions just ahead of elections risks turning city governance into a partisan tool.
They also said the results of the recently concluded 13th parliamentary election clearly show that the vote margin between winning and losing candidates was relatively narrow.
This indicates that the opposition retains significant electoral strength and could secure a higher number of votes in the upcoming local government elections if it fields candidates strategically.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has protested the appointment of party-affiliated individuals as administrators in six city corporations following the 13th parliamentary election.
In a statement on Monday, Secretary General and former MP Mia Golam Parwar said, “By appointing ruling party office-bearers as administrators, the government has taken a position against public expectations. This is morally reprehensible and amounts to a clear betrayal of the people.”
He demanded the immediate cancellation of the partisan appointments and called for announcing the schedule for local government elections, including the city corporations, without delay.
