UP polls likely by early 2027

Union Parishad elections will likely take place either by the end of this year or in early 2027, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Wednesday.

He made the announcement while addressing a discussion organised by the Bangladesh Union Parishad Chairman-Member Association in the capital.

Fakhrul, also the BNP secretary general, urged prospective candidates to prepare for the elections, saying the government would ensure a free and impartial electoral process.

“Candidates will have to win with the people’s support and affection,” he said.

The minister said authorities should not remove elected public representatives from office arbitrarily.
He also urged Union Parishad chairmen and members to ensure the proper distribution of government relief and protect the rights of poor people.

Fakhrul said he would discuss the allowances provided to local government representatives with the prime minister and try to raise them to a respectable level.

“A strong local government makes the state stronger,” he said.

The minister said the government would provide family cards to 4.1 million households this year and called for the involvement of elected local representatives in the programme.

Speaking as a special guest, the state minister for disaster management and relief said the government would begin allocating relief funds in September instead of April.

The revised schedule would allow authorities to complete relief distribution within the remaining four months of the year, the state minister added.