EC sets December target for first phase of local polls
The Election Commission now wants to announce the local government election schedule by September and begin the first phase of voting by December. The commission had been preparing for an October start, but CEC AMM Nasiruddin said the calendar now has to account for annual examinations, Durga Puja, fasting early next year and SSC examinations.
In a Nutshell:
- The EC had targeted the first phase for October and was still planning in August to begin in the first week, with Sunamganj, Netrokona, Kishoreganj and parts of Habiganj among areas identified for early voting.
- CEC AMM Nasiruddin now says the schedule should be announced in September, although October remains possible if the commission needs more preparation time.
- The first phase is only the beginning of a much larger process covering union parishads, municipalities, upazila parishads, city corporations and zila parishads. The EC earlier estimated that completing all tiers could take nearly a year.
- The commission has to fit the voting calendar around annual exams and Durga Puja this year, followed by fasting and SSC examinations early next year.
- The EC is also preparing for the Thakurgaon 1 by-election and plans to coordinate with law enforcement agencies for that poll and the local elections.
Context
New paragraph.The October target came after months of preparation that began following the parliamentary election. The EC had planned to use the post-monsoon period for phased voting, with the haor and northeastern districts considered early because water transport is easier there between September and November. The local election process will take much longer than the first phase. Earlier EC planning put union parishad and municipality elections first because upazila councils depend on their completion, with the other tiers to follow. Several local bodies are also already beyond their elected terms, making the eventual pace of the process important for restoring elected representation at the local level. BNP's first budget for local government polls since taking power puts Tk 6,000 crore on the table for five tiers of elections this fiscal year — but the figure sits well above the Election Commission's own Tk 5,530 crore request, raising questions about whether the extra cushion reflects genuine preparedness or political overcompensation after months of resisting local polls under the interim government.
Why it matters
The move from October to December gives the EC more room to fit voting around events that cannot easily be moved, but it also changes how quickly the country enters a long local election cycle. The commission is dealing with thousands of local government bodies, and officials have said the full process could take close to a year. That makes the first phase important beyond the areas that vote first, because delays there can affect when the remaining tiers can move forward.
What we think
The October plan was tied to the post-monsoon window, while the new December target reflects the EC's need to work around exams and religious events. That makes the change understandable, but it also means the commission needs to be clear about how it will fit with the remaining phases, including fasting and SSC examinations, in early 2027. The Thakurgaon 1 by-election will add another immediate poll to that calendar, so the EC's handling of both exercises will matter for how manageable this timetable proves to be. But a question still remains: can they pull off a fair, free, and transparent election?