United News of Bangladesh

BNP candidate Mirza Faisal Amin won the Thakurgaon-1 by-election by a huge margin, according to unofficial results announced on Thursday night after the voting. Faisal Amin bagged 2,27,917 votes with “Sheaf of Paddy” symbol, while his nearest rival Delawar Hossain of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami polled 96,513 with “Scales” symbol. Earlier, voting in the by-election to the constituency, which fell vacant after Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was elected President, was held peacefully. Voting took place across 185 polling centres with an average voter turnout of 64.81 percent.

The Election Commission (EC) is considering starting the Union Parishad (UP) elections from January next year, saying there is no scope for holding the polls in November and December due to the annual examinations in schools. “We usually see annual examinations being held in November-December. We will set the election schedule considering that. If these examinations are completed by December, we will, InshaAllah, be able to hold the elections from January,” Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker said on Thursday. He said this replying to a question from reporters at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city. Earlier, the EC had announced a tentative plan to hold the UP elections in seven phases, with the first phase scheduled for November 12. The commission held a meeting with representatives of different ministries, divisions and agencies concerned on September 17 to discuss the plan. Representatives of several government ministries told the meeting that it would not be feasible to hold the elections in November and December. The EC later said it would hold further discussions before finalising the election dates. Anwarul rejected allegations that the commission moved away from its tentative election dates under pressure from the government. “Many people will say many things. But have you seen the Election Commission doing anything under anyone’s pressure so far? The Election Commission does not do anything devoid of reality,” he said. Mentioning that the EC works within the law and the Constitution, the election commissioner said, “We take the Constitution, law and reality into consideration.” He said it is not appropriate to mention specific dates before announcing the election schedule. Anwarul said the commission is considering holding the elections after November-December so that school examinations could be held without disruption and students could sit for their examinations without any hindrance.

The Election Commission will review the timeframe for holding Union Parishad elections in phases before finalising the election schedule, said Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah on Thursday. “We’ll review requests from different ministries and agencies concerned before finalising the schedule for the Union Parishad elections. But everyone agreed that we need to finish the elections by June 6 next year,” he said. The Commissioner made the remarks while briefing reporters after an interministerial preparatory meeting on a parliamentary by-election and local government elections at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city. The meeting began at 2:30pm with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin in the chair. Senior representatives from more than 20 ministries and divisions, including the Armed Forces Division, law enforcement and intelligence agencies attended the meeting. Sanaullah said the EC received a number of requests from the participants regarding the timing of the elections. They requested us to consider that the annual examinations in schools will be held throughout November and December next, he said. The Commissioner said the EC would have some scope in January to arrange the local government elections and another window between the SSC and HSC examinations. He said the SSC examinations will be held after Ramadan, while the HSC examinations will be held after June 6. Regarding the tentative dates announced on Monday for the seven-phase UP elections, Sanaullah said, “We earlier said we will finalise the schedule after the September 17 meeting.” Four election commissioners—Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Tahmida Ahmad, Anwarul Islam Sarker and Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah—and EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed were present at the meeting. The Thakurgaon-1 by-election is scheduled to be held on October 29. On Monday, the EC announced tentative dates for holding the countrywide Union Parishad elections in seven phases with the first phase planned for November 12. However, two ministers and the Prime Minister’s Advisers on Tuesday said the government was unaware of the tentative dates before the EC announced them.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has selected Mohammad Selim Uddin, ameer of its Dhaka North City unit, as its candidate for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) Vice President (VP) Shadik Kayem for Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), in the next city corporation elections. Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar disclosed the names while talking to reporters after a Seerat-un-Nabi (PBUH) conference organised by the National Doctors Forum at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh auditorium in the capital. He said Jamaat is an election-oriented political party and has taken organisational preparations for the upcoming local government elections. "We have reached the final stage of completing the nomination process for candidates in all Union Parishads, Upazila Parishads, municipalities and city corporations at the grassroots level. In many places, we have already internally announced our candidates," Porwar said. He said Jamaat will participate in the elections to the two Dhaka city corporations and has already selected its candidates through its organisational process. "We will officially announce the candidates at the appropriate time. It has already appeared in the media that we have announced Selim Uddin as our candidate in Dhaka North and Shadik Kayem in Dhaka South," he said. Meanwhile, Shadik Kayem, whose actual name is Md Abu Shadik Kayem, played an important role as a coordinator during the 2024 mass uprising. He was later elected DUCSU VP in the September 2025 election. Earlier, the National Citizen Party (NCP) announced its mayoral candidates for the two Dhaka city corporations. It picked its Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary as its candidate for the DSCC and Spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain as its candidate for the DNCC. Meanwhile, the ruling BNP has yet to announce its candidates for the city polls.

The Election Commission has planned to hold the countrywide Union Parishad (UP) elections in seven phases, with the first phase scheduled for November 12, covering all UPs in 80 upazilas of 63 districts. The tentative schedules were decided at a preparatory meeting of the commission on Monday, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanauallah told reporters after the meeting. Local government polls standard won’t be below national election: CEC “We will be able to conduct the first-phase election on November 12….. We expect that we will be able to hold elections to all Union Parishads in roughly 80 upazilas,” he said. According to the tentative schedules, the second phase will be held on December 13, the third phase on December 30, the fourth phase on January 17 next year, the fifth phase on February 4, the sixth phase on April 12 and the seventh phase on May 27, he said. Sanaullah said there are a total of 4,580 Union Parishads across the country. He also said the commission will hold talks with all registered political parties over the local government elections.” The discussions will be held on September 23, 24 and 25.” Two representatives from each political party will be invited for the dialogues ahead of the local government elections. The EC said they will try to start the UP elections in all 64 districts, except Thakurgaon, simultaneously, as the EC has already announced a schedule for Thakurgaon-1 by-election, which will be held on October 29.  

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Wednesday assured that the upcoming local government elections will be free, fair and credible and held to at least the same standard as the national election. “Only those eligible under the law will be allowed to contest the elections. There will be no illegal directives from the Election Commission to the police during the elections. I can guarantee that,” he said. The CEC made the remarks while talking to reporters after a discussion on “Training to Enhance Police Skills and Capacity for Performing Election Duties Professionally” at Rajarbagh in the capital. Nasir Uddin said the Election Commission has no lack of commitment to ensuring a free, fair and credible local government election. “We conducted the national election as beautifully as possible. We want to hold the local government election to at least the same standard,” he said, adding that the Election Commission will hold the local government elections very soon, with police capability playing a crucial role in ensuring security during the polls. The CEC said he had requested the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to arrange training as soon as possible for police personnel who will be assigned election duties. “The IGP started the training programme within about two weeks. Today was the inaugural ceremony,” he said. Nasir Uddin said the Election Commission has sought police assistance to ensure a credible and acceptable election, while the police have also pledged to work toward holding a good and credible election. He said around Tk 22 crore will be required for the police training programme, which will have to be financed from their regular training fund. The CEC said training programmes for Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Ansar personnel will also begin gradually. “We hope that together we will be able to present the nation with a beautiful local government election,” he said. He said the Election Commission has been able to restore much of the public confidence that had been lost in the commission. “Government agencies, the Election Commission and our administration have proved that they can deliver,” he said. Nasir Uddin also said public confidence in the civil service, police and other law enforcement agencies has improved significantly. Asked whether police will be able to ensure a smooth election amid the current law-and-order situation, he said the situation is not new. Asked about plans to reduce violence during the local government elections, the CEC said the time has not yet come to disclose a concrete plan. “That will be done in due time,” he said, adding that the commission will introduce measures, including CCTV cameras and body-worn cameras. “We will conduct digital monitoring, online monitoring and real-time monitoring of the ground situation during the election so that we can intervene immediately. We are working on that. The cell is working,” he said. Asked when the election schedule will be announced, Nasir Uddin said it will be announced soon. On whether candidates from the Awami League, which faces a ban on its activities, will face restrictions in the local government elections where party symbols will not be used, he said eligibility will be determined strictly according to law.

The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday issued a gazette notification declaring BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir elected as the President of Bangladesh. The notification, issued under Section 11 of the Presidential Election Act, 1991, said Mirza Fakhrul was elected President in accordance with Rule 12(6) of the Presidential Election Rules, 1991. The gazette notification was signed by EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed. Mirza Fakhrul was elected the country's 23rd President earlier in the day, defeating his lone rival Col (retd) Oli Ahmad, the candidate of the 11-party opposition alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. Fakhrul secured 255 votes against Oli's 88 in the presidential election held in the session chamber of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, also Returning Officer of the election, announced the polls results after the balloting ended at 5:00pm. “Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has secured 255 votes. I declare that, having received the highest number of votes, he has been duly elected President,” Nasir Uddin announced. Out of all 343 valid votes, Mirza Fakhrul secured 255, while Oli Ahmad got 88, he said. Among the 349 voters, six lawmakers did not vote in the presidential election. The six voters who did not turn up are BNP lawmakers Mirza Abbas, Mostafa Kamal Pasha and Dr Muhammad Osman Farruk, independent lawmaker Rumeen Farhana, Jamaat lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam and Islami Andolan Bangladesh lawmaker Md Oli Ullah.

The Election Commission (EC) has finalised a set of recommendations proposing amendments to local government laws for disqualifying MPO-listed teachers, dual citizens and holders of offices of profit from contesting local body elections. The recommendations also include disqualifying loan defaulters and guarantors, and utility bill defaulters from contesting the local government elections as well as incorporation of the Armed Forces in the definition of “law enforcement agencies” in the laws to pave the way for deploying Army, Navy and Air Force personnel in the local body elections. The recommendations were finalised at the 12th commission meeting held at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city’s Agargaon area on Tuesday with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin in the chair. Briefing reporters after the meeting, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said the EC finalised the recommendations to streamline the laws related to the local government bodies – Union Parishad, municipalities, Upazila Parishad, city corporation and Zila Parishad. “We will soon send our recommendations to the Local Government Division,” he said.

Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud on Monday said the Election Commission is taking preparations to start the arrangement of phased elections to local government bodies in October next. “We think the elections will be held at the right time. We have said this before and we are saying it again—we are moving forward with October in mind," he said while addressing a fruit festival organised by the Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy (RFED) at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city. City corporation elections after Ramadan: EC Masud The Election Commission, however, said there is a matter of it won’t be logical for the EC to come up with a clearer announcement over the election as holding local government elections requires coordination with the government on several issues due to ground reality. "As many aspects of the election require coordination with the government, it would not be reasonable for the Election Commission to make a definitive announcement without formal and informal discussions with the government," he said. He said if elections are held in October, the schedule will have to be announced around 45 days before the polls date. “We are making our preparations accordingly," he added. The commissioner said the EC would soon write to the government requesting the speedy resolution of demarcation and boundary-related complications, which remain one of the key prerequisites for holding local government elections. Citing that most of local government bodies are currently vacant, he viewed that elections to union parishad and municipalities shall be held first as chiefs and members of municipalities and union parishads serve as ex-officio members of upazila parishads. As a result, upazila parishad elections cannot effectively be completed before elections to municipalities and union parishads. Since of the members of Union Parishads, municipalities and upazila parishads are the voters in the Zila Parishad election, the polls can’t be held before elections to three types of local bodies in a particular district. Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah said the EC has already taken all primary preparations for local government polls. He said the commission has already uploaded the draft electoral code of conduct to its website, received observations from stakeholders and is reviewing relevant laws to make any necessary adjustments. On boundary delimitation, Sanaullah said the EC has decided to coordinate closely with the Local Government Division to ensure the process is completed as quickly as possible. "We have started preparations from our side so that, like the national election, we can conduct very fair local government elections in a nice manner,” said the election commissioner. Two other election commissioners Tahmida Ahmad and Anwarul Islam Sarker, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed and Principal Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmed were present at the event presided over by RFED President Kazi Emad Uddin (Jabel).

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami spent over Tk 4.49 crore in the 13th parliamentary election, while Jatiya Party reported spending only Tk 5 lakh, according to official election expenditure statements submitted to the Election Commission (EC). A total of 50 political parties participated in the February 12 election, but some 25 parties have submitted their election statements to the EC as of Wednesday. The remaining parties, including ruling BNP, have to submit the expense statements to the EC. Election Commission imposes vehicle restrictions ahead of polls Jamaat submitted its election expenditure statement signed by Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar on Tuesday, showing a total expenditure of Tk 4,49,47,972 in the election. Of the total amount, Tk 4 crore was distributed as donations to 225 candidates, averaging around Tk 1.78 lakh per candidate. Jamaat reported expenses for designing and printing election manifestos, organising press conferences, hospitality, transportation of election materials, tours by central leaders and advertising. It spent Tk 20,90,827 on election campaigning, Tk 8,700 on transport, Tk 14,17,599 on public rallies and tours, Tk 2,85,902 on staff expenses and Tk 9,44,944 on accommodation and administrative costs. An additional Tk 2 lakh was listed under miscellaneous expenses. Jatiya Party submitted its election expenditure report signed by its chairman GM Qauder to the EC on Wednesday. According to the statement, submitted by Jatiya Party Additional Secretary General Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan, the party spent only Tk 5 lakh in the election though 196 Jatiya Party candidates took part in the polls. But the party did not allocate any funds directly to candidates for campaign activities. Its polls campaign expenses stood at Tk 3.25 lakh, while Tk 1.15 lakh was spent on public rallies and Tk 65,000 on staff expenses. The party also informed the EC that all election-related expenditures were made through an account at Prime Bank PLC’s Banani branch, which currently holds a balance of Tk 38,500. A political party shall not spend an amount that exceeding Tk 4.5 crore as election expenses in case of fielding more than 200 candidates, while Tk 3 crore incase of 101-200 candidates, Tk 1.5 crore in case of 51-100 candidates, and Tk 75 lakh in case of 1-50 candidates, according to the Article 44CC of the Representation of the People Order, 1972. Every political party nominating any candidate for election shall submit an election expenditure statement within 90 days after the election to the Election Commission for its scrutiny, as per the Article 44CCC of the same law.