Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) Minister Md Tazul Islam has said that participating in the local government elections with party nomination or as an individual candidate both have merits and demerits.

He also said that the upazila election with or without party symbol does not conflict with existing law.   

He made the remarks while addressing a debate competition at the auditorium of the Film Development Corporation (FDC) in the city on Sunday.

Debate for Democracy organised the event, with its chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiran, in the chair.

The LGRD Minister said votes cast in the name of dead persons or children is an isolated incident, and is not desirable.

He said that things change over time, and the electoral system may also change. “I don't think Bangladesh is the best democratic country in the world. But democracy is an ongoing process.”

Tajul Islam said that democracy must be advanced through dialogue and debate among all parties. If political parties stop talking, democracy will go backwards.

“It is not possible to consolidate a democratic system overnight. There are debates about elections in many countries including America, Canada, and India”, he said.

He noted that the Netherlands had to hold re-election due to low turnout. If those who speak about a level playing field in the elections do not come to the elections then how will it be implemented, he questioned. Even after banning Imran Khan's party in Pakistan, they participated in the elections with various tactics.

Chairman of Debate for Democracy Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiran said BNP and its partners have boycotted the upazila election like the national election. If BNP participated in the election, this would have been more participatory and acceptable.

Debaters of Dhaka Medical College won by defeating the debaters of Manarat International University in the shadow parliament titled “Non-partisan local government elections will consolidate democracy at the grassroots level.”

Judges in the competition were Professor Abu Muhammad Rais, journalist Mainul Alam, journalist Moshiur Rahman Khan, journalist Md. Humayun Kabir and Journalist Sadia Afroz.