Local polls in all tiers may take up to 1 year to complete: LGRD minister

Minister for Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives (LGRD) Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today (27 April) said in Jatiya Sangsad that, based on previous experiences, holding local government elections across all tiers requires between 10 months and one year to complete.

The disclosure came in response to a starred tabled question from independent lawmaker Rumeen Farhana (Brahmanbaria-2) in the House today.

Responding on behalf of the ministry responsible for the Election Commission Secretariat, the minister said that the local body polls are traditionally conducted in phases across the country. "Drawing on past experiences, it has been seen that completing elections at all tiers (local body) generally requires 10 months to one year."

The House was informed that the announcement of an election schedule depends on a range of critical administrative and logistical considerations. 

These include preparation and updating of the voter list, procurement and distribution of election materials, scheduling around religious festivals and public examinations, assessment of weather conditions, finalisation and necessary renovations of polling centres, as well as the appointment and training of election officials.

The minister further stated that at least 45 calendar days are required as a minimum pre-schedule preparation period before the formal announcement of the election timetable.