There will be no party participation or electoral symbols in the upcoming local government elections, and the government has no plan to rehabilitate the Awami League under any name, Prime Minister's Information Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman said on Tuesday.
Responding to questions from reporters about the possible participation of Awami League-linked individuals in the local polls and speculation over a "reformed" or "refined" Awami League, he said the elections would be held under the previous non-partisan system.
"No political party -- including the BNP, Awami League, Jamaat or the NCP -- will participate in the local government elections as a party," he said.
He said the party symbol system introduced during the Awami League government for mayoral and chairman elections had already been scrapped, restoring the earlier practice of non-party contests.
Dismissing speculation over the revival of the Awami League under a different banner, Zahed Ur Rahman said the government's position was unequivocal.
"As long as the Awami League's activities remain banned, no political activities can be carried out under the name of the Awami League, a 'Refined Awami League', 'Trinamool Awami League', or any other similar name," he said.
"The government has no plan to rehabilitate the Awami League," he added.
The remarks come amid growing political debate over whether individuals with past links to the Awami League could contest the upcoming local government elections independently following the removal of party symbols from local polls.
