A decision regarding local government elections will be made soon, according to Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, Advisor to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday (February 18) after the sixth session of the final day of the DC Conference at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital, he highlighted the urgency of the matter.
Mahmud noted that in the absence of elected representatives, Deputy Commissioners (DCs) are shouldering additional responsibilities. To ease this burden, they are also advocating for the elections to be held as soon as possible.
He pointed out that divisional commissioners attending the session are currently overseeing city corporations, while DCs are managing district councils. Handling multiple roles simultaneously is proving to be increasingly challenging for officials.
The advisor stressed the importance of electing legitimate public representatives through local government elections. He mentioned that this issue was also discussed during the latest consensus meeting.
Mahmud further stated that discussions on local government elections have been ongoing before the national parliamentary elections. While no final decision has been announced by the government yet, he assured that one will come soon.
"In my opinion, holding local government elections first would be beneficial. We have to keep the country running. However, the decision will be made by the government, not based on my personal views," he concluded.
