Election Commissioner Abul Fazl Md Sanaullah has said the Election Commission has not yet finalized when local government elections will begin, but Union Parishad (UP) elections must be completed before June 6 next year.
He made the remarks on Thursday (September 17) after an inter-ministerial meeting at the Election Commission building in Agargaon, Dhaka, held ahead of the local government elections and the by-election to the Thakurgaon-1 constituency.
The meeting began at 2:30pm under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin.
Sanaullah said the Election Commission might have to revise its tentative election schedule due to various examinations, and the number of voting phases could also be reduced. However, the UP elections would have to be completed before June 6.
He said the commission would take care to ensure that examinations were not disrupted. The final election dates would be announced as soon as possible.
“Examinations are scheduled in November and December. There will be some availability in January, but Ramadan will also be a factor. We will hold several meetings, and the election dates will be finalized at a commission meeting,” he said.
The Election Commission has previously indicated plans to hold the UP elections in multiple phases, with the first phase scheduled for November 12, though the broader schedule remains subject to review.
Sanaullah also said the by-election to the Thakurgaon-1 constituency will be held on October 29. The Election Commission announced the schedule for the by-election on September 10.
