Party Symbols to Be Removed from Local Government Elections: Asif Mahmud

Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, Adviser to the Interim Government’s Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, has announced that party symbols will no longer be used in local government elections.

The announcement came through a post on his verified Facebook page on Thursday morning (24 July), where he stated:

“Party symbols will be excluded from local government elections. Today, the Advisory Council approved amendments to four laws presented by the Local Government Division.”

Major Shift in Electoral Procedure

With the approval of these amendments, political parties will no longer be able to nominate candidates officially for local elections. All candidates will now run as independents, meaning they will be recognised as non-partisan participants.

This decision marks a significant departure from the system introduced in 2015 under the Awami League government, which had implemented the use of party symbols in local elections.

Background and Reform Demands

For several years, election experts and political figures had been advocating for the removal of party symbols in local elections. Both the Electoral Reform Commission and the Local Government Reform Commission have previously recommended excluding party affiliations to encourage more inclusive and unbiased participation.

According to observers, removing party affiliations is likely to encourage more qualified and skilled individuals, who are not directly linked with any political party, to run for office.

Structure of Local Government in Bangladesh

Currently, the local government structure in Bangladesh is divided into five tiers:

This reform is expected to have a profound impact on the political landscape at the grassroots level, aiming to promote inclusive, transparent and less polarised local governance.