Local govt or JS polls first?: Issue emerges as serious bone of contention in Bangladesh politics

The timing for holding the local government elections – whether it should be before or after the national polls – is appearing to be a serious bone of contention between political parties, with the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami leading two opposite camps. 

The recommendations of the two reform commissions formed by the interim government for holding local government polls before the parliamentary one has only fueled the debate further. 

Analysts believe politics will only heat up over local government elections in the coming days with new political parties led by students who also prefer local body polls over national one in the offing.

The BNP,  which emerged as the largest political party in Bangladesh after the fall of its archrival Awami League-led by Sheikh Hasina, has been consistently opposing any move to hold elections to local government bodies before the national polls. 

On the other hand, its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami has now seemingly poised itself as a rival of the BNP in the post-Hasina politics in Bangladesh,  preferring local government elections over the parliamentary polls. 

Jamaat held a meeting with the chief election commissioner today where the party said holding local government polls before national elections was the will of the people. 

Speaking at an event on the same day, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir pointedly said they did not agree to it, adding it was a plot to take the country into a more fragile state from a political perspective. 

"The sooner the elections are held, the smoother the political situation will be. The people of Bangladesh will come to a state of stability," he said. 

With the Election Commission making preparations with an eye towards holding the national polls in December, the rift is seemingly growing.

Addressing a workshop on Tuesday (13 February), BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas warned that any attempt to delay the national election by pushing for local body elections first would be strongly opposed. 

"We hope the election will take place within December, if there is no plot to foil it," he said. 

Just two days earlier, Mirza Fakhrul, following a meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, had said the government had assured it was working to hold elections by December. 

He added that his party would in no way accept any local government elections before the national election. 

On the interim government end, addressing a press conference, Local Government Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain said the local government elections came up during discussions on the national polls roadmap. 

"A final decision will be made after discussing with all parties," he said.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, the Jatiya Nagorik Committee submitted 16 proposals to the Local Government Reform Commission, where it urged that local government elections be held before the parliamentary elections. 

In November, Tofail Ahmed, a member of the Election Reform Commission, said, "The opinion of civil society is that local elections should be held before the national elections, as holding local elections will enhance the capacity of the Election Commission." 

But what do the people want? 

A survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics held in January found that nearly 65% of respondents prefer local government elections before national parliamentary polls. 

The state statistics agency conducted the National Public Opinion Survey on Electoral Reforms at the request of the Electoral Reform Commission.

Badiul Alam Majumdar, chief of the commission, said the survey was meant to gauge people's opinions about elections and related issues. 

"We currently do not have any union parishads or active local government bodies, and as a result, people are being deprived of essential civic services," he said. 

Reform another wedge?

The other contentious issue is the extent of the state reforms before the national election. 

The BNP has been advocating for holding the parliamentary election after carrying out "minimum basic reforms, while Jamaat has been arguing for more reforms before the national polls. 

Amid the prevailing situation, a seven-member 'Jatiya Oaikymoto Commission' headed by Prof Muhammad Yunus was formed today to consider and adopt the recommendations submitted by six commissions.  

The newly formed commission will start functioning from February 15 and its tenure has been fixed for next six months. 

The commission will hold discussions with political parties and forces to form a national consensus to consider and accept the recommendations of the commissions formed for reforms in the election system, public administration, judiciary and anti-corruption, including police activities.