Local govt elections to begin in January, end by 6 June: Shahe Alam
The state minister says the government will not accept any stigma associated with the electoral process and is committed to ensuring free, fair and impartial polls.
Local government elections will begin in January and conclude by 6 June next year, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam has said.
He disclosed the schedule while speaking to journalists after a meeting of the District Law and Order Committee at the deputy commissioner's conference room in Rangpur this afternoon (29 September).
"According to the Election Commission, local government elections will begin in January and continue until 6 June," he said, adding that the law and order situation would need to improve further ahead of the polls.
The state minister said the government was committed to holding free, fair and impartial elections to local government institutions and would not accept any stigma associated with the electoral process.
"The current government will not accept any stigma associated with the electoral process," he said.
Responding to questions about Rangpur's law and order situation, Mir Shahe Alam said the meeting would issue necessary directives to improve the situation.
"If the situation does not improve by next month's meeting, action will be taken against the officials held responsible," he said.
The state minister said the government was working to develop the long-neglected Rangpur region, adding that the district's problems had been identified and would be addressed in phases.
He said allocations totalling Tk127 crore had already been made for Rangpur's six parliamentary constituencies, while development project proposals worth around Tk3,600 crore for Rangpur division had been submitted to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).
Project proposals had also been prepared for public health, education and other essential sectors, he said, adding that their implementation would gradually address the region's long-standing problems.
On the Teesta Master Plan, Mir Shahe Alam said the government was actively working on the issue and remained committed to taking effective initiatives soon.
The meeting was chaired by Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Israt Jahan and attended by lawmakers from the district, senior officials, law enforcement personnel and representatives of relevant government departments.
