Local Government Elections for All Tiers Scheduled This Fiscal Year

All tiers of Bangladesh’s local government bodies will host elections within the current financial year, according to Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development, and Co-operatives.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon, 6 August, during an inspection of the Sylhet City Corporation’s (SCC) secondary transfer station for waste management at Parairchak, the state minister outlined the administration’s electoral roadmap. He revealed that the government plans to complete polls across all five tiers of local governance before the current fiscal year concludes.

To facilitate this massive electoral exercise, the Local Government Division, the Finance Division, and the Bangladesh Election Commission are slated to hold joint high-level consultations immediately following the end of August. This inter-ministerial dialogue will evaluate logistics, financial allocations, and administrative readiness to determine which tier of local government—ranging from Union Parishads to City Corporations—will head to the ballot boxes first.

Turning to environmental and municipal issues, the minister commended Sylhet for its cleanliness, highlighting the city’s active efforts in canal re-excavation and vector-borne disease mitigation. He noted that the Sylhet City Corporation has performed admirably in executing projects aimed at preventing dengue outbreaks and improving drainage infrastructure.

During the visit, the minister also announced the full operationalisation of a joint eco-friendly initiative established between the Sylhet City Corporation and building materials manufacturer LafargeHolcim. Although initially launched in 2024, the partnership had not reached full operational capacity. Under the refreshed framework, the city’s municipal waste will be processed systematically: non-recyclable plastic debris will be handed over to LafargeHolcim for use as alternative industrial fuel in cement production, while organic components will be converted into bio-fertilisers.

Key officials accompanied the minister during the inspection, including SCC Administrator Abdul Qaiyum Chowdhury, Chief Executive Officer (Joint Secretary) Mohammad Rezai Rafin Sarkar, and Chief Waste Management Officer Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Mohammad Eklim Abdeen. The delegation presented a detailed overview of Sylhet’s waste management infrastructure, highlighting the technical aspects of the Secondary Transfer Stations (STS) and the bio-drying plant designed to modernise urban sanitation across the city.