Local Government Elections May Begin in January: EC

The Election Commission (EC) is considering holding local government elections from January 2027 after the annual examinations scheduled for November and December, Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker said on Thursday.

Speaking to journalists at the Election Commission building in Dhaka, Sarker said the commission was considering scheduling the polls after the public examinations.

“Elections will not be held in November and December because of the annual examinations. Hopefully, the local government elections will begin in January after the examinations,” he said.

He said members of law enforcement agencies are deployed for public examinations, making it difficult to arrange elections during that period. Educational institutions are also commonly used as polling centres, while teachers are assigned election duties.

Regarding coordination with the government over the local government elections, Sarker said there had been no formal exchange of letters with the government on the matter. The commission has, however, sought a list of local government institutions that are ready for elections.

Sarker said the election timeline had been adjusted based on practical considerations.