Upazila polls next target

After JS polls, AL eyes crucial local govt bodies to have stronger base at grassroots

Shakhawat Liton and Hasan Jahid Tusher The ruling Awami League now focuses on the upcoming upazila elections to consolidate its grip on local politics, through winning these key local bodies.
Party insiders say the newly formed government has some shortcomings and it needs full support of the upazila parishads to overcome some of those.
According to them, the government will strengthen the upazila parishads "in real sense" in light of its electoral pledges. And to implement its political and development agendas at the local levels, the government needs its own people at the helm of the upazila parishads.
The Election Commission plans to hold polls to more than 480 upazilas in phases from next month. It may announce the schedule on Sunday or anytime this week for holding polls to over 100 upazila parishads to start with.
"The BNP may take the upazila elections seriously in efforts to bounce back, after its failure to resist the parliamentary election. So, we will try to maintain strict party discipline to make sure that dissidents do not run against the party-backed candidates," an AL presidium member told The Daily Star yesterday.
The presidium member, who is also an influential minister, said they would request party chief Sheikh Hasina to take steps in this regard.
Contacted, Matia Chowdhury, another AL presidium member, said they pledged in their manifesto to strengthen the upazila parishads.
"We will do it this time. We will take necessary measures so that upazila parishads can offer better services to people," said Matia, also the agriculture minister.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already instructed some grassroots leaders, particularly those who were not picked for the January 5 national election, to get ready for the upazila election, insiders said.
Upazila elections are non-partisan in nature. So, the AL will back leaders who have clean image and public support to secure victory, said Mahbubul Alam Hanif, AL joint general secretary.