State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam has said local government elections will begin in January and be completed by June 6.
He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after a meeting on law and order at the Rangpur Deputy Commissioner’s Office on Tuesday afternoon.
“According to the Election Commission, the local government elections will begin in January and continue until June 6. The law and order situation must be improved further to ensure smooth elections,” he said.
The state minister said the government is committed to holding the elections in a free, fair and impartial manner.
“Under the direct instructions of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, we will take all necessary measures to ensure free, fair and impartial elections,” he said.
“We want to assure the people and candidates that the government will not allow the elections to be tainted by irregularities or any other wrongdoing,” he added.
Mir Shahe Alam said Tk127 crore had been allocated over the past six months for road repairs and development in Rangpur.
He said the ministry had also sent a Tk3,600-crore project to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for infrastructure development in Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Nilphamari.
Another Tk1,650-crore project for the Rangpur division, based on proposals from lawmakers, is awaiting ECNEC approval, he added.
The state minister said new projects had also been taken up to improve public health and develop municipalities across the Rangpur division. The projects are currently in the pipeline.
“We will bring the entire country under balanced allocation and development under the instructions of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman,” he said.
On agricultural development, Mir Shahe Alam said the government plans to prioritise region-specific crops through a “zone map” and take necessary measures based on the crops predominantly grown in each area.
Regarding the Teesta Master Plan, he said the government was working on it and would move towards implementation soon.
“The government is committed to implementing the Teesta plan,” he said.