Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says all the local government elections should be held along political line so that the popularity of various parties at the grassroots can be properly judged.
Hasina, who heads the ruling Awami League, made this remark on Thursday even as the country is going to the Upazila polls in several phases.
She was addressing a discussion organised by the Awami League at the auditorium of Krishibid Institution, Bangladesh marking the Independence Day.“Candidates could be nominated by the parties and there can be political control if the polls are on party lines,” she said. “Otherwise that is not possible”.
Hasina said in future the local bodies should have polls on party lines like the parliament election.
On March 3, Local Government Minister Syed Ashraful Islam hinted at possible amendment of the law to allow the holding of local government elections along party lines.
He is general secretary of the ruling Awami League.
The existing law does not allow aspirants to contest under the banner of political parties but they are active in these elections, starting from the nomination of candidates to campaigning.
The Prime Minister’s son Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy and Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad, also a special envoy to Sheikh Hasina, have on different occasions argued for holding the polls for the local bodies on party lines. -bdnews24.com
