Local Polls: BNP, Jamaat, NCP head for tough fight

The country’s three dominant political forces — the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party (NCP) — are racing to consolidate grassroots strength ahead of what promises to be a highly competitive round of local government elections, following the January 12 general elections that reshaped the country’s political landscape.

The NCP fired the first salvo on Sunday, announcing names of 100 candidates for upcoming local body polls and demanding that the government immediately publish a clear electoral roadmap.

“The government is saying the elections will be held very soon.

But how long is this ‘very soon’? It could be five months, or it could be five years,” NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain said at a press conference at the party’s central office in Dhaka’s Banglamotor area yesterday.

He demanded specific timelines for city corporation, upazila and municipality elections.

NCP Chief Organiser (northern region) Sarjis Alam, who announced the 100-name list, said over 1,000 applications had poured in from aspirants seeking party backing.

“We hope to announce another 100 names in the second phase before Eid-ul-Azha, on the 20th of this month,” he said.

The NCP’s first list draws from a broad political spectrum — former BNP and Jamaat activists, independents, and even former Awami League figures who supported the July movement — signalling the party’s intent to cast a wide net in local contests.

BNP Activates Grassroots Machine
A day earlier, BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman convened a day-long views-exchange meeting at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh auditorium in Khamarbari, gathering leaders and activists from across the country.

Rahman instructed party leaders to prepare for upazila elections and called for tighter coordination between district, upazila and union-level units.

Party sources confirmed that BNP’s national council — expected before December — will be preceded by elections to reconstitute all grassroots-level committees, signalling a structured bottom-up approach to rebuilding the party’s organisational machinery.

Jamaat finalises candidates after strong parliamentary showing
Jamaat-e-Islami, which emerged as the second-largest party in the 13th general elections by securing 77 parliamentary seats, has already finalised candidates for upazila chairman, municipal mayor and union parishad chairman positions.

A party source said leaders who could not contest the parliamentary elections due to alliance seat-sharing arrangements would be given priority in the local body polls.

Jamaat’s track record in local elections is formidable.

In the 2014 upazila elections, the party won chairman positions in 36 upazilas, vice-chairman posts in 126, and women’s vice-chairman seats in 26.

In the 2021 union parishad elections — even after losing its registration — Jamaat-backed candidates won chairman posts in 79 unions. The party also captured four municipalities in 2019.

Jamaat Naib-e-Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher said the party is ready to contest but stressed the need for structural reform first.

“The state machinery must be reformed in line with the July Charter to ensure free and fair local elections.

If that happens, Jamaat will certainly participate. As a political party, we are prepared for the vote,” he said.

Non-Partisan Format and Unresolved Questions
A key structural question hanging over the local elections is whether they will be held on a partisan or non-partisan basis.

The interim government led by Dr Muhammad Yunus has already amended local government laws through ordinances and revised the Representation of the People Order.

If ratified by the 13th parliament, these changes would revert local elections to a non-partisan format.

BNP had made its position clear during the National Consensus Commission’s dialogue — local body elections must be non-partisan.

Both Jamaat and NCP had previously favoured holding local elections under the interim government, but BNP’s opposition stalled those plans at the time.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has since stated that local elections will be held “very soon” — the same vague assurance that has drawn NCP’s criticism.

Level Playing Field Concerns
Asif Mahmud also raised concerns about administrators currently running local bodies allegedly canvassing for votes and putting up election posters while still holding office.

“Those serving as administrators cannot contest while holding their posts.

They must resign if they want to take part in the elections. Otherwise, the polls will become controversial and one-sided from the beginning,” he warned.

Alliance Strategies Remain Open
While NCP said it was currently preparing to contest the polls alone, Asif acknowledged that the question of forming alliances would depend on future discussions.

With BNP and Jamaat both fielding strong organisational networks and NCP seeking to establish itself as a credible third force, the local elections — whenever they are held — are shaping up to be the most competitive in years at the grassroots level.