State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam has said that the Election Commission is planning to complete the local government elections between January and June 30. He also stated that BNP will not accept any stigma regarding the elections, nor will Tarique Rahman. He made these remarks at a briefing for local journalists at the Gaibandha Circuit House auditorium on Thursday, October 1, at around 12 noon.
Mir Shahe Alam said that if the Election Commission wants, the government will also provide necessary assistance in deploying the army to make the elections acceptable. He said the people can elect their representatives through direct vote, and the government will do whatever is necessary for this. He added that he had come to perform his duties on behalf of the Prime Minister and would discuss with local people and gradually see how much development he could make to satisfy them.
In the briefing, the State Minister also said, “Those you elect from here will never be able to form the government. If your elected representatives cannot form the government, naturally that area will remain a little neglected.” He explained that keeping this in mind, the Prime Minister has decided that in order to ensure every district, whether it has an elected MP or not, comes under the ambit of balanced development, the Prime Minister has given 30 ministers from the cabinet the responsibility of 64 districts. He said he had come to fulfill his duty on behalf of the Prime Minister and would discuss with local people and gradually see how much development could satisfy them.
Later, the State Minister attended two separate meetings of the District Law and Order Committee and the District Coordination Committee in the Deputy Commissioner’s conference room, organised by the Deputy Commissioner. The meetings were part of his visit to Gaibandha, where he reviewed law and order and coordination issues and discussed development matters with local officials. His comments on the election timeline, the government’s willingness to assist the Election Commission, and the BNP’s position on the polls underlined the political importance of the upcoming local government elections. The State Minister’s remarks also highlighted the government’s emphasis on balanced development across all districts, including those without elected representatives, through the assignment of ministers to specific districts. The visit concluded with the two meetings at the Deputy Commissioner’s office, where administrative and coordination issues were discussed.
