Parliamentary Elections will be held first then Local, says EC Masud

Election Commissioner (EC) Abdur Rahmanel Masud has confirmed that the parliamentary elections will be held before local elections, with a focus on conducting the parliamentary polls by the end of the year. 

He stated that, "Our main focus right now is on the parliamentary elections. The Chief Advisor and other officials have indicated that these elections will be held by December." As a result, local elections are not being considered at this moment. "First, we will hold the parliamentary elections, and then we will think about the local elections," Masud clarified.

He made these remarks on Thursday, February 27, while speaking to reporters after visiting the Dhamrai Upazila Election Office in Dhaka.

Masud explained that the Election Commission had not received any request from the government to hold local elections before the parliamentary ones. 

Conducting local elections in phases would take nearly a year, which would make it difficult to hold the parliamentary elections in December or January. 

"It will be very challenging to organize the parliamentary elections on time if we start the local elections now," Masud emphasized.

The updated voter list is expected to be finalized by June. 

EC Masud explained that if the parliamentary elections are to be held in December, the schedule would need to be announced by October or November. 

For this reason, he ruled out the possibility of holding local elections beforehand. 

When asked about the law and order situation, Masud assured that things are improving steadily.

During his visit to Dhamrai, Masud was accompanied by several high-ranking officials, including Dhaka District Senior Election Officer Muhammad Fazlur Rahman, Upazila Executive Officer Mamnun Ahmed Anik, Upazila Election Officer SM Sadikur Rahman, and Officer-in-Charge of Dhamrai Police Station Monirul Islam.

Later in the day, Masud attended the annual inter-school and madrasa debate competition and the Top-Fifteen Merit Award ceremony as the chief guest, held at Munnu Community Center in Dhamrai. 

He delivered a speech at the event, where prominent figures such as Dhaka Government College Principal Professor Dr. Selim Mia, Upazila Secondary Education Officer Zakir Hossain Mollah, and various heads of local educational institutions were also present.

The upcoming parliamentary elections are expected to play a crucial role in the country‍‍`s political landscape, with all eyes now set on the preparations ahead.