The Awami League has decided to conduct upazila elections without using party symbols, initially announced by the party's general secretary, Obaidul Quader. However, Md Tazul Islam, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, expressed concerns regarding this decision. He stated that while holding local government elections without party symbols could allow multiple candidates to compete fairly, it might also lead to conflicts among rival candidates and their supporters.

Speaking as the chief guest at a public parliamentary debate competition titled 'Smart Bangladesh can be built by strengthening local government,' organised by Debate for Democracy at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) in Tejgaon, the minister emphasised on the potential for both peaceful elections and the risk of clashes in the upcoming upazila elections. He declared his intention not to openly or secretly nominate anyone for this election, highlighting the image crisis local government public representatives faced. He believed that dignifying local government positions would attract better candidates to participate in these elections.

Addressing the issue of corruption, the LGRD minister acknowledged that corruption is widespread across our country, making it challenging to get things done without encountering it. It seems like wherever you turn, corruption is lurking. But corruption at the macro level is especially harmful. I can't do much about corruption. A corrupt person is never really happy. We need to tackle the high levels of corruption. Everyone should commit to fighting corruption in their way.

While acknowledging the possibility of rapid infrastructure development, the minister emphasised that changing societal attitudes and consciousness cannot occur overnight. He asserted that it is imperative to cultivate innovative thinking among its citizens to build a smart Bangladesh.

The shadow parliament, aimed at strengthening local government, involved participants from Bangladesh University of Business and Technology representing the government party and East West University representing the opposition.