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Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC) is on the verge of releasing a draft code of conduct for the upcoming union parishad elections, expected to commence in October. The draft will be published on the EC's website, inviting public feedback before its final approval. Officials stated the draft will then be sent to the law ministry for vetting.

Key changes in the proposed code include provisions for non-partisan elections. Individuals facing charges under the International Crimes Tribunal Act or the Anti-Terrorism Act, as well as fugitives, will be barred from contesting. Additionally, independent candidates will no longer need to collect voter signatures, and the use of posters, electronic voting machines (EVMs), and postal ballots will be excluded.

The EC plans to hold a commission meeting soon, contingent on the Chief Election Commissioner's recovery from scheduled foot surgery. While awaiting a formal letter from the Local Government Division regarding poll arrangements, the commission is also preparing to send the draft code to political parties for their input.

Bangladesh faces a significant backlog of local government elections, with many bodies' tenures having expired over the past two years. Out of 4,581 union councils, a substantial number are eligible for polls by the end of August and December. However, 104 union parishads are currently unfit for elections due to various issues, including legal disputes, boundary complications, and voter list issues.

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We expect to hold the commission meeting either at the end of this week or early next week. The commission will sit for the meeting after Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin’s health condition improves, as he is scheduled to undergo foot surgery this week.