EC backtracks on decision to rename local govt bodies, posts in Bangla

Following criticism, the Election Commission has backtracked from its proposal to give Bangla names to local government bodies and the positions within them by amending the relevant law.

The EC was planning to introduce Bangla names for city corporations, municipalities and union parishads and the posts of mayor, chairman etc by amending the election-related laws of local government bodies.

The commission during a meeting today approved the draft of the Local Government Election Act 2020, without the provision for changing the names of government bodies and positions, said EC senior secretary Md Alamgir.

"We will keep traditional names of local government bodies and its positions," he said.

When asked why they decided to backtrack from their earlier decision, Alamgir said that the name changes were a proposal. "Changes can be brought to a proposed law until it is passed by the parliament," he said.

Alamgir said the draft of the law will be uploaded to the website of the EC soliciting opinions of all stakeholders before it is sent to the law ministry for vetting.

In the draft version of the law, the EC proposed renaming city corporation to mahanagar sobha, pouroshabha to nagarshabha, union parishad to palli parishad and ward into mahalla.

It also proposed renaming corporation to sobha, city corporation mayor to mahanagar sobha adhikarik or mahanagarpati, councillor to sadasya or paarishad, among others.

The Election Commissioner in a "note of dissent" on August 24 differed with the Election Commission's move to revise the law.

He said changing the structure of local government bodies and its tenures were not the EC's duties.

"EC does not have any jurisdiction to make changes to names of local government bodies and the positions within them," he said.

Transparency International Bangladesh in a statement criticised the EC for taking the move going beyond their jurisdiction.

Many social media users also criticised the EC move saying it was a whimsical move as many of the positions like MP, speaker, deputy speaker, even the Election Commission, were English words.

EC officials said they had decided to amend the election-related laws of local government bodies in Bangla to make it easy to read and understandable to all.

The new law will be a comprehensive law to conduct local government elections.

Currently, there are five separate laws to hold different local government elections.