The government will soon take decision whether it will hold local government elections before the national polls, said Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan on Tuesday.  “Although discussions are in progress no final decision has been made yet. Either election will be held or administrators will be appointed to run local government institutions," he told reporters at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium on the final day of the Deputy Commissioners' (DC) Conference.  The adviser said officials who are currently managing local government institutions alongside their primary responsibilities are facing challenges. "Divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners are burdened with multiple works. I personally believe that electing public representatives is necessary to ensure proper governance," he said.  Adviser Rizwana directs DCs to protect rivers, hills and forests Responding to a question,  Asif Mahmud said that elected representatives would help maintain law and order and contribute to smoother election management. “However, the final decision rests with the government.”  Now a common complaint is the difficulty in obtaining birth, or death certificates due to the unavailability of dedicated officials, he said.

Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, adviser to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives, and Youth and Sports, has called for a swift and transparent implementation of development projects, urging officials to stop all forms of corruption and nepotism. Speaking at a progress review meeting of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the financial year 2024-2025, he emphasized that the timely and efficient completion of projects is critical for maintaining the trust of development partners and fulfilling public expectations. “We must ensure that all projects are implemented properly and without delay,” Asif Mahmud stated during the meeting, which was attended by senior officials from the ministry and key project directors. He highlighted that lengthy project schedules have caused disillusionment among development partners, leading to a loss of enthusiasm for future collaborations. The adviser underscored the importance of working in close coordination with development partners in case of unavoidable delays, while maintaining integrity and transparency throughout the project cycle. “All forms of corruption and nepotism must be stopped in project implementation,” he insisted. Out of the total 230 ongoing projects in 19 departments, 62 are funded by foreign development partners, while 168 projects are government-funded. The total budget allocation for these projects is Taka 3,580,888. Asif Mahmud also noted that delays in appointing consultants have been a significant obstacle to the timely execution of projects, particularly in sectors like road construction and culvert works. He emphasized the need for reforms to streamline the consultant appointment process, ensuring quicker decisions and minimizing delays. The adviser further reminded ministry officials of their duty to reflect the hopes and aspirations of the people in their work. “The blood of those who sacrificed for the creation of today’s Bangladesh should not go in vain. A new hope has been instilled in the people, and we must work to fulfill those hopes,” he said, urging all ministry staff to take their responsibilities seriously. The meeting was conducted by the Secretary of the Ministry, Md Nazrul Islam, and was attended by senior ministry officials, project directors, chief engineers, and executive engineers.