No educational requirement for local elections, no legal obligation either: State Minister - Prothom Alo English
State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Mir Shahe AlamProthom Alo file photoEducational qualification is not a criterion for contesting local government elections and there is no legal requirement in this regard, said Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives.
He made the remarks at the Secretariat on Sunday.
Earlier, Reto Renggli, Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh held a meeting with Local Government Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan at his office. The State Minister was also present at the meeting.
After the meeting, the State Minister informed the media that the election commission (EC) will decide whether MPO-listed teachers of private educational institutions can contest as candidates in local government elections.
Stating that the EC determines the qualifications and disqualifications of candidates, he further said, "The EC will decide on the matter by taking everything into consideration, including the law and the Ministry of Education's policies. They will announce whether MPO-listed teachers can participate in the elections."
Mir Shahe Alam further said that the Union Parishad Act states that a person cannot contest an election if they hold a full-time, salaried position in the service of the Republic, a council or any other local authority.
The State Minister added that regarding MPO-listed teachers, the Manpower Structure and MPO Policy 2025 for Private Educational Institutions (Schools and Colleges) states that this post is profitable. Therefore, the Ministry of Education's policy aligns closely with the law here.
The State Minister said that during the meeting, discussions were held with the Swiss Ambassador on various aspects of making the local government system stronger, alongside consolidating democracy institutionally.
The meeting placed particular emphasis on increasing the financial capacity of local government institutions, decentralisation, and enhancing people's participation at the local level.
The State Minister said there are also opportunities for cooperation between Bangladesh and Switzerland in involving women more in the rural economy, addressing the challenges of climate change and exchanging experiences regarding local government elections.
He expressed hope that the relationship between the two countries will become deeper and more effective through mutual cooperation and the exchange of experiences in these areas.
During the meeting, Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Abdul Moyeen Khan remarked that there is no alternative to building a strong local government system to institutionalize democracy and ensure people's participation and accountability.
He said that if the foundation of democracy is not strengthened at the grassroots level, it is impossible to consolidate the overall democratic structure of the state.
During the meeting, the Local Government Minister also said that in a heavily populated country like Bangladesh, a strong and effective local government system holds special importance in delivering government services to the people's doorsteps.
He also emphasised the importance of transforming the country's vast population into a skilled workforce, as well as increasing the financial capacity of local government institutions.
Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan stated that ensuring true decentralisation is necessary to effectively strengthen the local government. Local government institutions can be made more effective by increasing people's participation and opportunities for decision-making at the local level.
He also mentioned that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is firmly committed to organising free, fair and neutral local government elections.
Various issues, including further strengthening mutual relations between the two countries, bolstering democracy and the local government system, the local government election process, increasing rural women's participation in economic activities, and addressing the impacts of climate change, were discussed at the meeting.
Senior ministry officials, including Local Government Division Secretary Shahidul Hassan, were present at the meeting.
