Bangladesh Election Commission Drafts Uniform Rules for Local Polls, Avoids Army Deployment Plan

Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC) is preparing for upcoming local government elections, likely to commence in September-October and continue into early next year. As part of its preparations, the EC is developing standardized rules for elections to five types of local bodies: city corporations, municipalities, upazila parishads, district councils, and union parishads. This initiative aims to create uniformity, as existing codes of conduct vary across these different tiers.

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We will hold these elections in a scattered manner. Different areas will vote separately, not all at once.

The commission has stated it has no immediate plans to deploy armed forces personnel during the polls. However, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahman el Masud indicated that the EC would retain the option to call upon the army if the situation necessitates it, particularly if violence escalates in specific areas. Elections will be conducted in a phased, scattered manner to manage security and logistics effectively. Masud emphasized the EC's commitment to minimizing violence and ensuring no lives are lost, acknowledging the historical challenges with clashes and fatalities in local polls.

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Suppose we are conducting elections in Dhaka division and police will work there. But we are not in favour of deploying the army. Even if the army is present, they will perform normal duties.

Discussions within the EC's Law and Rules Reform Committee have covered various aspects, including revisions to the code of conduct, the role of law enforcement, candidate security deposits, election expenditure ceilings, and candidacy conditions. The commission also plans to engage with political parties and stakeholders to ensure a level playing field. The rule-making process is anticipated to be completed by June, though the specific order of elections has not yet been decided.

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If we see the army is needed, we will call them. If incidents rise in one place, then we will call the army in the next slot with justification.

Election experts suggest that army deployment is generally not necessary for local government elections. While Bangladesh has no precedent for such deployments in local polls, a past request for army presence during a city corporation election in 2011 was not ultimately implemented. The EC's focus remains on ensuring preparedness and a fair electoral process, with a goal to keep any incidents very limited.

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We will try to ensure no lives are lost in local polls. Even if incidents occur, we will try to keep them very limited.