No clear directives yet on local government polls: EC secretary

Election Commission (EC) Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed today (3 August) said they have not yet received any clear instructions from the government regarding the local government elections.

He also said the schedule for the presidential election has not been finalised as the EC is still waiting for the voter list from the Parliament Secretariat.

"The date or schedule for the presidential election has not been fixed yet. We have requested the Parliament Secretariat to send the voter list. After receiving the voter list, we will discuss the election date and schedule," the EC secretary said, while talking to reporters at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital.

On July 24 last, Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned as President and Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad took charge as the acting head of state.

The EC, led by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, held a meeting with acting Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal on July 28 in line with the Presidential Election Act, 1991, which obliges the Commission to consult with the Speaker before the announcement of the schedule for the presidential election.

According to Article 123(2) of the Constitution, an election to fill the vacant office of the President must be held within 90 days of the post becoming vacant due to resignation.

Talking about the local government elections, Akhtar said the EC has not yet received any clear instructions from the government in this regard.

He said the Commission had earlier kept July 31 last as the deadline for new voter registration ahead of the local government elections.

"As we have yet to get any clear instruction regarding the local government elections, the July 31 deadline for voter registration may be changed, or it may remain unchanged," the EC secretary said.

He said the Commission has prepared a set of proposals for amending the local government election laws and the proposals will be sent to the Local Government Division for consideration.

Asked whether local government elections could be held from October, Akhtar said the Commission normally requires around 45 days between the announcement of the election schedule and polling day.

Besides, it takes another one and a half months to finalise and print the voter list, meaning that the EC generally needs around three months of preparations before holding an election, he explained.

"Different timelines have been discussed, including September, October and even December (for starting to hold the local government elections). As there is no clear information yet, it will not be appropriate for me to comment," the EC secretary said.

Responding to another question, he said, to his knowledge, there has been no formal communication with the government regarding the local government elections so far. "However, our preparations are continuing without any slowdown," he added.

Akhtar said 38 registered political parties, including the BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, have submitted their audited financial statements for the 2025 calendar year to the EC.

He said 13 parties have sought an extension of the submission deadline, while eight parties have not responded.

According to the Representation of the People Order, political parties must submit their audit reports by July 31 for the previous year.

As the deadline fell on a Friday, the EC extended it until August 2, said Akhtar Ahmed.

There are now 59 registered political parties, while the registration of one party – Awami League – remains suspended.