Dhaka: Election Commission (EC) Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Monday stated that they have not yet received any clear instructions from the government regarding the local government elections. He also mentioned that the schedule for the presidential election remains unfinalized as the EC is awaiting the voter list from the Parliament Secretariat.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the EC Secretary highlighted that the date or schedule for the presidential election has not been established 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,” he explained to reporters at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital. Following Mohammed Shahabuddin’s resignation as President on July 24, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad assumed the role of acting head of state. The EC, under Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, consulted with acting Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal on July 28, in accordance with the Presidential Election Act, 1991.
Article 123(2) of the Constitution mandates that an election to fill the vacant office of President must occur within 90 days of the vacancy due to resignation. Discussing the local government elections, Akhtar reiterated that the EC has not yet received any clear directives from the government. He noted that the Commission had set July 31 as the deadline for new voter registration in anticipation of the local government elections. However, due to the lack of instructions, this deadline might be altered.
The EC Secretary disclosed that the Commission has formulated proposals to amend the local government election laws, which will be forwarded to the Local Government Division for evaluation. When questioned about the possibility of holding local government elections from October, Akhtar explained that the Commission typically requires about 45 days between the announcement of the election schedule and the polling day. Additionally, finalizing and printing the voter list takes around one and a half months, necessitating approximately three months of preparation.
Various timelines, including September, October, and December, have been discussed for initiating the local government elections, but no definitive information is available at present, as per the EC Secretary. Responding to queries, he noted that there has been no formal communication with the government regarding these elections, but preparations are proceeding without delay.
In another development, Akhtar reported that 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. Thirteen parties have requested an extension for the submission deadline, while eight have not responded. The Representation of the People Order requires political parties to submit their audit reports by July 31 for the preceding year. As the deadline coincided with a Friday, the EC extended it until August 2, Akhtar Ahmed added. There are currently 59 registered political parties, with the registration of one party, Awami League, remaining suspended.