Abu Jakir :
Several key political parties – including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, the National Citizen Party (NCP), Islami Andolan Bangladesh, and the Gono Odhikar Parishad – have called for local government elections to be held prior to the forthcoming national parliamentary polls.
The demand reflects a growing movement to depoliticise local governance and protect it from the undue influence of national lawmakers and party agendas.
Public sentiment appears strongly in favour of this approach. A recent nationwide survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), commissioned by the Election Reform Commission, revealed that nearly 90 percent of the 46,000 respondents supported holding local elections ahead of the national vote.
“This is not merely a political demand – it is a reflection of public will,” said Prof Mia Golam Parwar, Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami. “Prioritising local elections aligns with the people’s desire to restore grassroots democracy before addressing national governance.”
Echoing the call, the National Citizens’ Committee voiced similar concerns. Its convener, Nasir Uddin Patwari, accused Awami League loyalists of maintaining “fascist functionality” within local government bodies. “A local government election is a necessary first step in strengthening democratic representation and testing the electoral system ahead of national polls,” he said.
The urgency of the issue has increased in the face of ongoing dysfunction within local governance structures. Badiul Alam Majumdar, Chair of the Election Reform Commission, warned during a recent press briefing that the absence of functioning union parishads and other local institutions has resulted in a breakdown in basic civic services. “People are being deprived of essential public services,” he cautioned.
Support for early local elections was further reinforced this week following a joint meeting between Islami Andolan Bangladesh and the Gono Odhikar Parishad. Both parties issued a joint statement backing the proposal to hold local elections and implement electoral reforms under an interim government prior to the national vote.
Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim, Ameer of Islami Andolan, emphasised the need to replace the current first-past-the-post system with a proportional representation (PR) model. “Over the past 53 years, those in power have failed to establish a sustainable political culture.
Flawed elections have empowered unqualified leaders, leading to national instability,” he said. “A PR system could help restore public confidence in the democratic process.”
The two parties also outlined a broader set of reform goals.
