EC proposes barring MPO-listed teachers, dual citizens from contesting local body polls
The recommendations were finalised at the 12th commission meeting held at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city’s Agargaon area today (21 July) with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin in the chair.
The Election Commission (EC) has finalised a set of recommendations proposing amendments to local government laws for disqualifying MPO-listed teachers, dual citizens and holders of offices of profit from contesting local body elections.
The recommendations also include disqualifying loan defaulters and guarantors, and utility bill defaulters from contesting the local government elections as well as incorporation of the Armed Forces in the definition of "law enforcement agencies" in the laws to pave the way for deploying Army, Navy and Air Force personnel in the local body elections.
The recommendations were finalised at the 12th commission meeting held at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city's Agargaon area today (21 July) with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin in the chair.
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Briefing reporters after the meeting, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said the EC finalised the recommendations to streamline the laws related to the local government bodies – Union Parishad, municipalities, Upazila Parishad, city corporation and Zila Parishad.
"We will soon send our recommendations to the Local Government Division," he said.
Explaining the proposals, the EC secretary said the commission recommended declaring teachers and employees of MPO-listed educational institutions ineligible to contest local government elections.
The proposed disqualification will also apply to loan defaulters and their guarantors, defaulters of utility service providers such as electricity and WASA, owners of firms with outstanding loan or utility bill defaults, dual citizens and holders of offices of profit, he said.
Akhtar said the EC also proposed amending all local government election laws to include the Armed Forces within the definition of "law enforcement agencies", enabling the deployment of Army, Navy and Air Force personnel during local government polls in the same way as under the Representation of the People Order (RPO).
Apart from election laws, the commission also discussed several proposed amendments relating to the National Identity (NID) system.
Akhtar said the EC decided in principle to introduce an online voter migration system under which voters seeking to transfer their registration area will be able to apply online by paying a certain fee.
It also proposed revising National Identity (NID) renewal rules by requiring applicants to submit additional family information, including details of family members, to store data under the family tree system in the NID database, he said.
The EC secretary said the commission decided to lower the minimum age from the current 16 years for collecting citizens' biometric data and providing them with NID cards.
To simplify overseas voter registration, the commission proposed reducing the existing two-step verification process. Under the new system, Bangladeshi expatriates living in different countries will be able to upload their biometric information directly after submitting their applications, while verification and approval will be completed centrally by the EC.
Akhtar said preparations for the local government elections are continuing alongside the legal reform process.
