Ordinance issued scrapping use of party symbols in local govt elections

The government has issued an ordinance amending union parishad, upazila parishad, municipality, and city corporation laws, effectively scrapping provisions for allocating party symbols in local government elections.

With the ordinance, published yesterday (18 August), candidates will no longer have a legal option for party nominations in local polls.

On 1 July, the Ministry of Local Government prepared drafts of four separate ordinances on this matter and submitted them to the Cabinet Division. Following approval by the Advisory Council on 24 July and consent from the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, the ordinance was officially gazetted.

Under the previous Awami League government in 2015, laws were amended to allow voting with party symbols in city, municipal, upazila, and union elections. Since then, various political parties and election experts have repeatedly called for ending the use of party symbols in local elections.

Both the Election Reform Commission and the Local Government Reform Commission, formed by the interim government, had also recommended removing party symbols. Supporters of the move believe it will encourage more qualified individuals, who are not directly affiliated with political parties, to participate in elections.