The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Leaders of the Bangladesh Upazila Chairman Samity demanded of the Caretaker Government to declare the Upazila Council Election schedule before the national election.

They made this demand at a press conference at the National Press Club in the city yesterday.

Convener of the Samity Azizul Haque Lebu Kazi, Joint Convener Afzal Hossain Kawsar, Member Secretaries Firoz Kabir, Maj (Retd) Jasim Uddin, Shamsul Karim and Ziaul Haque Sarker addressed the conference.

They expressed doubt over holding the upazila election after the general election, noting that earlier the major political parties promised in the election manifesto to hold the upazila election, but none of them kept their commitment. They said the upazila system was introduced for the welfare of the rural people, but, as soon the rural people were getting benefit from the system due to huge development of infrastructure, the then BNP government abolished it in 1991.

Azizul Haque said they welcomed the caretaker government's initiative to strengthen the local government. "Now we strongly demand holding of the upazila election before the national election," he stressed.

He said they also demanded handing over the power to the elected representatives of the people by holding the national election in accordance with the roadmap.

Ziaul Haque Sarker said the previous democratic governments did not give due importance the local governments and made the upazila system inactive ignoring the High Court order by not holding the upazila election.