Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, the interim government's local government adviser, supports holding local-government elections before the national elections as it would help alleviate the suffering of people struggling to access public services.
However, Asif stated that it was only his "personal" opinion and that the government would take the final decision on the matter.
Asif spoke to the media after taking part in a session of the Deputy Commissioners' Conference at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium on Tuesday afternoon, reports bdnews24.com.
Asked whether there is any possibility of local government polls being held before a general election, the adviser said that, as there are no elected public representatives in local government institutions at the moment, administrative officials have had to take on their work as an additional responsibility, which is causing regular issues.
"Every day, we hear from them - 'give us administrators' or 'give us elections'. Divisional commissioners are in charge of some city corporations, while deputy commissioners also have to perform the duties of district councillors."
"When an official is tasked with two or three duties, it becomes difficult for one person to perform any of them properly. From that perspective, I personally think that by holding local government elections, the true representatives of the people should be brought in."
Adviser Asif argued that local government organisations can also play an important role in holding effective national elections if there are elected people's representatives involved.
This will also reduce the suffering of the people, he said.
He said, "The people come first. People are given the runaround to get services at the local level. No matter how good a government official is, he cannot fulfill the duties of a ward. They do not know the people there, nor do they know the streets."
"In consideration of the people, local government elections should be held so there is no disruption to public services," he says.
In response to a question, the adviser said, "There is also the issue of feasibility regarding local government elections. How much can we organise? There are many issues. There is the issue of law and order in the government. Firstly, the decision has not been finalised. It is in the process of being finalised. Once it is finalised, the remaining issues will be looked into."
Awami League (AL) leaders who have not been involved in any wrongdoing, crime or genocide can apologise and return to the mainstream without facing obstacles in elections, said Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan.
The adviser mentioned the United Nations report on human rights, which has documented the genocide committed by the Awami League on an international scale. Drawing parallels with historical fascist regimes in Germany and Italy, he said that AL should be held accountable for its actions.
UNB adds: Deputy Commissioners (DCs) on Tuesday proposed the introduction of universal military training for youths, aiming to involve them in the country's defence efforts.
The proposal was made during the DCs Conference at Osmani Auditorium in Dhaka in a session focused on the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces Division.
Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Hafiz shared this information with journalists after the session.
He said that the DCs had raised questions on enhancing civil-military cooperation, asking whether the orientations that civil officers provided at the division level could be expanded to strengthen understanding between civil administrations and military forces.
The DCs also enquired about the possibility of arranging universal military training for the youth, where they could receive military training and actively contribute to the country's defense, Lt Gen (retd) Hafiz added.
Hafiz also spoke about the discussions that had taken place regarding special operations in certain districts against terrorists.
The deputy commissioners had suggested that operations be conducted in remote or char areas, where a larger force might have been required or logistical challenges had to be addressed.
The meeting also discussed how the Bangladesh Navy could assist civil administrations in safeguarding resources in the country's rivers, especially in anti-jhatka (hilsa fry) operations.
Abdul Hafiz mentioned concerns about the impact of the Kuki-Chin National Front's terrorist activities in the hill tracts, which had severely disrupted the tourism industry in several districts. This disruption had led to unemployment among the local youths, pushing them towards terrorism.
The deputy commissioners had asked how to resolve this issue.
When asked about the proposed universal military training for youths, Abdul Hafiz said that through the Ansar VDP, training had already been provided in every union of each upazila.
One deputy commissioner had suggested expanding this programme, which would have required political decisions and financial considerations.
He added that if the government provides directions, the Armed Forces are ready to implement the plan.
Regarding the ongoing "Operation Devil Hunt," Abdul Hafiz said that nearly 6,000 weapons had been looted, and over three-fourths of them had been recovered. He considered this a major success, though 250,000 bullets were still to be recovered. He assured that the remaining weapons would be retrieved through ongoing operations.
He also addressed the situation in Narsingdi's char areas, where terrorism had been increasing.
Seven army members have been killed and many others injured in the ongoing operation against the Kuki-Chin National Front, which would continue until the group is eliminated.
According to bdnews24.com, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan says that PowerChina will submit its Teesta River Master Plan to the government by December 2026, stating that the time frame for its preparation has been extended by two years.
They will also submit a preliminary report to the government between October and December this year, she said.
The adviser spoke to the media on the matter after the working session of the Ministry of Forest and Environment and the Ministry of Water Resources at the Deputy Commissioners' Conference on Tuesday.
She said, "Since information is not released to the public, it has created the basis for several misconceptions regarding the master plan. There is no master plan yet, so how will it be implemented? A plan has to be made."
The adviser said, "A Chinese group submitted a plan. It is not feasible, not sustainable. After discussions with them [PowerChina], a decision has been taken to rework that plan."
Bangladesh has been in a dispute with India over its fair share of water from the Teesta -- which flows through both countries -- for many years.
Adviser Rizwana said, "According to the agreement signed in 2016, the master plan was supposed to be submitted long ago. Now the time has been extended by two more years."
"But we said that the issues that should be included in the plan or left out will have to be decided after listening to the opinions of the people of the Teesta area. The Ministry of Water Resources and the PWD [Public Works Department] will conduct the opinion collection process. PowerChina will be present at each public hearing."
The adviser said, "When they [PowerChina] revise the master plan, it should reflect public opinion."
She continued: "We have given them two years to prepare the plan. Then the Planning Commission will approve it, then it will go to the Chinese government. Now I am insisting that a [preliminary] report be submitted between October and December."
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