Noman Mosharef :
Elections in 21 municipalities did not take place in 21 municipalities on account of legal complications. The residents of those municipalities want election as early as possible.
The Election Commission (EC) officials said, they have nothing to do as long as legal complication will not be resolved.
Dhaka district’s Dohar municipality is one of those municipalities where election has not been held for a long time though there is no legal complication to organize Dohar municipal polls.
Over the issue EC Commissioner Kabita Khanam said, there are some municipalities where polls face legal complication. We have already held some municipal elections in which there was no legal bar. The Election Commission has conducted elections in several municipalities where elections were not held for 13 to 14 years.
She said, “We organised the polls in those municipalities free from legal complication, and the Ministry of Local Government gave clearance..”
She also said that the schedule of some of them had already been announced.
If there are no complications, the date of municipal elections may be announced soon.
According to EC, the municipalities whose tenure had already expired are Panchbibi Municipality of Joypurhat on 11 July 2017; Chhengarchar (Motlab Uttar) of Chandpur district on 24th January 2021; Baufal municipality of Patuakhali district on 16 June 2017; Mathbaria municipality of Pirojpur district on 9 February 2016; Parbatipur Municipality of Dinajpur District on 26 February 2016; Jhenaidah district Jhenaidah municipality on April 2, 2016; Benapole of Jessore district on 27 February 2016; Chapainawabganj district’s Chapainawabganj municipality on 22 March,2021; Sonargaon in Narayanganj district on 23 February 2021 and the Gopalganj municipality of Gopalganj district on 23rd February,2021.
Besides, there are some municipalities which never saw election since their formation. They are- Shibpur in Narsingdi district; Bhandaria of Dinajpur; Dohazari (Chandnaish) and Hathazari of Chittagong district; Narayanpur in Chandpur district (Matlab South); Gosairhat in Shariatpur district; Tarash of Sirajganj district; Hazrabari in Jamalpur district;, Bishwanath Municipality of Sylhet District.
