Bangla Press Desk: The Election Commission (EC) has sought nearly Tk 29 billion in funding to conduct local government elections.
The allocation request has been submitted ahead of the 2026-27 budget and is broadly in line with the amount earmarked before the 13th parliamentary polls, bdnews24.com reports.
The EC plans elections at all five tiers of local government during the next fiscal year, covering 4,581 Union Parishads, 61 district councils, 495 Upazila Parishads, 330 municipalities and 13 city corporations where different posts are due for polls.
Officials from the EC Secretariat's budget and finance wing said on Monday that a proposal seeking about Tk 29 billion for local government elections had been sent to the finance ministry.
Voting for local government bodies is expected to begin later this year.
The general election took place on Feb 12, backed by a Tk 30 billion allocation under FY26 framework, out of which roughly Tk 22.5 billion was spent.
Questioned on the matter, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said although Tk 30 billion was set aside for the general election, nearly Tk 8 billion remained in surplus due to strict austerity measures and the elimination of unnecessary expenses.
He expressed optimism that the local tier elections will receive their required funding, hinting that the allocation could ultimately match the parliamentary amount.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury is scheduled to place the 2026-27 national budget in parliament on June 11, marking the first financial blueprint presented by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led administration since it swept to power in the 13th national elections.
The election commissioner said the EC intends to finalise its groundwork next month to roll out the official poll schedules in August.
The sequence of the polls will be determined after consultations with the government, keeping in mind that the October-March window represents the prime season for voting, though year-end school examinations must be navigated.
Because the drives must cover all local administrative levels, the regulatory body will map out schedules around the monsoon season.
Senior Assistant Secretary (Budget and Finance) of the EC Secretariat Md Shamsul Haque Faujdar explained that because Union Parishad and Upazila elections must be executed across the entire country, their expenditure remains almost equal.
He said, "Union Parishad elections usually require more than Tk 20 billion, while Upazila polls cost between Tk 20 billion and Tk 25 billion.
“Expenditure is comparatively lower for city corporations, municipalities and district councils."
He said election funding has never faced major shortages, as the government provides allocations whenever needed.
State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam said decisions on the timing of local elections will be taken in July or August once the budget allocation is confirmed.
