Staff Reporter:
New LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan yesterday said the BNP government will arrange local government elections by strictly following the constitution.
This incumbent democratic government will not hold elections like the ones held during the previ-ous government, he said.
The minister made the remarks while exchanging greetings and views with the heads of various organizations and department under the ministry and media personnel at Bangladesh Secretariat yesterday.
State Minister Mir Shahe Alam and Secretary to the Ministry Md Shahidul Hassan were present.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Moyeen Khan said the will of the people was not reflected in the last four elections from 2008 to 2024 and after a long time, a government that truly represents the peo-ple is working through the 2026 elections.
In this connection, he said, “BNP formed the government with the mandate of the people.”
“One year is a long time,” “he said adding that elections would be held at every tier of local gov-ernment in accordance with constitutional provisions, government policies and the people’s aspira-tions. “Only true representatives of the people will be elected in these elections.”
The minister said his ministry is an exceptional one as it plays a major role in directly providing services to people. “If the local government ministry works properly, the entire country will be gov-erned properly,” he said adding that the ministry works directly with people at the grassroots level.
“If this ministry succeeds, the government will also succeed,” he said.
Stating that the government would serve everyone, but priority must be given to the poor, he said, “Over the past 17 years, the rights of poor people were taken away while services were provided to the wealthy class.”
The veteran BNP leader said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had introduced the Family Card and Farmer Card for the poor and that the government would continue working to meet the needs of disadvantaged people. “People of the country are our priority.”
On corruption, he said the present government would not tolerate corruption in kind.
In this context, he said those who engage in corruption will face action through the Anti-Corruption Commission following due process.
“Not only local government ministry but also officials responsible for irregularities and corruption at all levels of government must be held accountable,” he added.
Noting that the ruling BNP did not believe in the politics of revenge but believed in the rule of law, Dr Moyeen Khan said, “The government is genuinely moving forward to restore the democratic sys-tem”.
Referring to criticism that the BNP is called a “cantonment-based party”, he said, “The Awami League destroyed democracy, while Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman restored it.”
Regarding the judiciary, the minister said that the previous government had also destroyed the country’s judicial system.
“Judgments were not written by judges; they were written at ministries…So we don’t believe in any witch hunting,” he said.
The minister said, “Our Prime Minister is working round the clock to bring back a truly democratic system in this country. We are walking on that path,” Dr Moyeen Khan said.
State Minister Mir Shahe Alam said they were working to overcome allegations of looting and cor-ruption surrounding the local government ministry during the previous regime.
