Local elections should precede 13th JS polls after needed reforms: Dr Tofail Ahmed

Electoral Reform Commission member Dr Tofail Ahmed has called for holding a cycle of local elections that can help to prime the new Election Commission for conducting the 13th national election. 

"During our discussions with civil society, there was a unanimous view that local elections should take place before the national elections. Holding local elections will enhance the capacity of our commission, allowing us to conduct tests. Furthermore, it will ensure the necessary support at the local level for the national elections," he said while speaking to reporters at the Election Bhaban today (23 November).

Tofail, a local government expert who has worked in the field across five decades, said, "There is currently no comprehensive system in place. The primary goal of this reform is to establish such a system."

He further stated that now is the ideal time to implement it, as most local governments are nonexistent, with only Union Parishads (UPs) remaining. "This is the right moment to shape the framework."

"If we can develop a system, it will lead to a comprehensive law that will encompass all institutions, allowing us to schedule and conduct elections for all of them," he added.

He explained that in successful local governance systems, such as in West Bengal, India, mayors and chairmen are not directly elected. "Instead, councilors and members are elected, and they form an executive committee within the council."

Dr Tofail emphasised that Bangladesh should adopt a similar system, which would make local elections less costly, save significant time, and reduce the need for a large workforce. 

He further elaborated that by one calculation, the local elections conducted by the previous commission cost around Tk23,000 crore, involved 19 to 20 lakh people, and took approximately 225 days. 

In contrast, he said if a parliamentary-style system were introduced for local elections, the cost could be reduced to around Tk600 crore, requiring only 8 lakh people and taking just 45 days to complete.

Dr Tofail questioned whether it would be feasible to implement such a system before the national elections, suggesting that if they were to continue with the current structure, five separate elections under five different laws would need to be held, raising doubts about the possibility of completing them in time for the national polls.