The controversy surrounding the one-sided 12th National Assembly election without the participation of opposition political parties persists. Meanwhile, discussions on local government elections have commenced. The Sixth Upazila Parishad elections are scheduled to occur in four phases starting from May this year. With the announcement of the date, the Election Commission has nearly finalised the 'roadmap' for the election.

The ruling Awami League has decided not to allocate party symbols to candidates for this election, a departure from the practice observed in the last two local government polls. Speculation abounds regarding the reasons behind this decision. How will this election unfold? Will it pave the way for resolution or exacerbate existing conflicts? These questions linger.

Political analysts assert that ensuring fair elections will be challenging for the Election Commission, as evidenced by past experiences. The prospect of conflict looms if the ruling Awami League openly endorses candidates. Nonetheless, the Election Commission has affirmed its commitment to conducting a fair and inclusive election, citing the implementation of new strategies.

Since 2015, local government elections have commenced using party symbols. Following the abolition of the caretaker government system, the BNP declared a boycott of the 10th parliamentary election in 2014. Despite this, the Awami League emerged victorious and retained power. Subsequently, the BNP participated in and secured victories in several local government elections.

Similarly, in 2018, the BNP contested the 11th parliamentary elections and alleged voter fraud, yet later participated in all subsequent local government elections under the banner of 'sheaf of paddy' symbol. However, since 2021, the BNP has refrained from participating in all forms of local government elections, including national parliamentary by-elections.

The party opted out of the 12th National Assembly elections, and its leadership remains steadfast in their decision to abstain from the upcoming upazila elections as well. Consequently, until a new decision is reached, BNP candidates will not be seen in any election under the sheaf of paddy symbol.

Furthermore, political parties aligned with the BNP are relentlessly against participating in elections under the current government. However, Jatiya Party, an opposition party in the Parliament, has indicated its intention to join in the upazila elections, as confirmed by its leadership.

There are 495 upazilas spread across 64 districts within 8 divisions of the country. The most recent Fifth Upazila parishad election took place in 2019. The Sixth Upazila Parishad election announcement was made on Tuesday during the 27th Commission meeting held in the afternoon at the election building in Agargaon, the capital city. Following the meeting, Jahangir Alam, the Secretary of the Election Commission, disclosed that the election for the Sixth Upazila parishad will be conducted in four phases. The initial voting phase is scheduled for May 4th, followed by subsequent phases on May 11th, May 18th, and May 25th. Typically, elections are not simultaneously held in all upazilas but are carried out in multiple stages. As per the law, upazila parishads must be elected within 180 days before the completion of their term.

The EC secretary stated, "Currently, 452 upazila parishads are eligible for election, and elections should be conducted by June. Additionally, nearly all upazila elections will be feasible by next March, with only a few exceptions."

Abdul Moyeen Khan, a member of the BNP standing committee, remarked, "Given our non-participation in the 12th National Assembly elections and our ongoing street protests to demand the government's resignation, we have no intention of participating in any election under the current government. BNP has no plans to participate in the Upazila elections."

Jonaid Saki, the chief coordinator of the Gana Samhati Andolon, criticised the Awami League for adopting arbitrary election practices. He noted, "The party has not made any policy decisions nor has it decided to withdraw its symbol. They have declared that they will not allocate the party symbol this time. Given the lack of fairness in the national election, there is little interest in participating in this election."

Maulana Abdul Halim, the Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami, stated, "Currently, we have not made any decisions regarding participation in the upazila elections. The final decision will be made after discussions in the policy-making forum meeting. We may convene a meeting next week, and I refrain from making any premature statements at this time."

The Jatiya Party, the opposition party in the Jatiya Sangsad, has indicated a policy decision regarding participation in the upazila polls. However, according to sources from the Jatiya Party, this decision has yet to be formally ratified within the party forum.

Mojibul Haque Chunnu, the General Secretary of the Jatiya Party, stated, "We intend to participate in the upazila elections, although this matter has not been deliberated upon within the party forum yet." He clarified that while the Awami League may not nominate the party symbol, it is an internal matter for their party, and the Jatiya Party will contest the election with its symbol.

Regarding the fairness of the elections, Chunnu deferred comment, stating, "I prefer not to discuss this matter at present; I will first assess the preparations of the Election Commission."

Advocate Timur Alam Khandkar, the General Secretary of Trinamool BNP, said, "We are contemplating our stance." He emphasised that no decision has been reached yet and expressed gratitude to the Awami League for displaying wisdom by refraining from using party symbols.

Dr. Badiul Alam Majumder viewed the withdrawal from party symbols positively, citing previous instances where failure to withdraw party symbols led to decreased qualified candidates and increased malpractices. He highlighted the importance of societal involvement in elections.

Regarding the Election Commission's ability to ensure fair elections, Majumder criticised its track record, asserting that fair elections were not conducted in national, by-elections, or local elections, leading to widespread distrust.

Local government expert Tofail Ahmed said, 'Awami League has decided to hold elections without symbols due to its problems. Common people's hope will increase, and they will participate in social activities.

He said, "The election has been started for the benefit of Awami League. Not giving symbols is also a decision for their convenience. So what if in the symbol, if not or what?

Kazi Zafarullah, an Awami League praesidium member, clarified the party's decision not to provide party symbols for upazila elections. He explained that this decision was made to foster competitive elections and ensure maximum cooperation with the Election Commission for fairness.

Jahangir Alam, the Secretary of the Election Commission, noted that current laws permit political parties to choose their symbols. He clarified that while the post of upazila district chairman may receive party symbols, the vice chairman and reserved vice chairman positions remain open. He confirmed that the Awami League's decision not to provide party symbols for chairman positions would lead to independent candidates contesting.

Alam reiterated that the election would remain participatory despite the Awami League's decision.