The government is planning to begin Union Parishad elections—the lowest tier of the local government system—starting next July. In the first phase, polls are expected to be held in 204 union parishads, most of them located in six districts of the Barishal division. The second phase of elections may take place toward the end of the year. The Union Parishad polls are scheduled to begin after elections for city corporations, district councils, upazila parishads, and municipalities.

Officials at the Ministry of Local Government say the administration wants to complete local government elections while public support remains strong following its landslide victory in the 13th parliamentary elections. Preparations are already underway. Local Government Adviser Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said the election process will begin as soon as possible. However, before that, parliament must make a final decision on whether local polls will be conducted along party lines. The first session of parliament is set to begin on March 12.

Under the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act, elections must be held within 180 days before the completion of five years from the first meeting of an elected parishad. According to ministry sources, the first phase of the previous Union Parishad elections was held on June 21, 2021, covering 204 unions. As their five-year terms have expired, the government now intends to hold elections in those unions again.

On February 17, the ministry sent letters to all deputy commissioners (DCs), requesting updated information on who is currently in charge of union parishads across the country. The DCs were asked to provide data on how many unions are being led by elected chairmen, panel chairmen, or appointed administrators.

There are currently 4,580 union parishads nationwide. After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, following a student-led mass uprising, many union parishad chairmen reportedly went into hiding. Of the 4,580 unions, around 1,500 were left without active chairmen, some of whom face criminal charges, including murder cases. More than 3,000 chairmen, however, continue to perform their duties regularly. In unions where chairmen were absent, the interim government appointed administrators. In some cases, panel chairmen have been carrying out responsibilities.

The ministry does not currently have updated data on how many unions are being run by chairmen, panel chairmen, or administrators. After the new government took office following the national election on February 12, it sought fresh information from district administrations.

Officials from different districts have confirmed that data regarding administrative arrangements have already been sent to the ministry. In some districts, a small number of unions are still being managed by appointed administrators.

A senior ministry official said priority is being given to the 204 unions where elections were last held in June 2021, as their terms have already ended.

A key question remains whether local government elections will be held with party affiliations. In 2015, the then Awami League government amended five local government laws to allow elections at five tiers—city corporations, district councils, upazilas, municipalities, and union parishads—to be held under party symbols. After assuming office, the interim government revoked that provision through an ordinance. Parliament must now decide whether to pass the ordinance into law and whether party-based elections will continue. On February 24, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated that the final decision on holding local elections under party symbols would be determined by parliament.

According to ministry sources, previous Union Parishad elections were conducted in several phases: 834 unions voted on November 11, 2021; 1,004 on November 28; 836 on December 27; and 708 on January 5, 2022. The upcoming elections will also be held in phases.

Past local elections conducted along party lines were marked by significant violence and loss of life. The credibility of those elections was questioned, and voter turnout remained low. Additionally, appointing administrators in many unions has reportedly caused difficulties in delivering public services.

Badiul Alam Majumdar, editor of Shujan (Citizens for Good Governance), said party-based local elections have caused serious harm to the country. According to him, such elections increased violence and discouraged many respected and popular individuals from participating. He also alleged that party-based polls led to widespread nomination trading, preventing qualified candidates from contesting while allowing unfit individuals to win. He added that the number of candidates declined under the party-based system and argued that local government elections should be conducted on a nonpartisan basis.