Awami League leaders and activists who remain in Bangladesh will be allowed to contest upcoming local government elections as independent candidates if they meet legal requirements, Prime Minister's Adviser on Information and Broadcasting Zahed Ur Rahman said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a weekly briefing at the Secretariat, Zahed made clear that there is no legal obstacle preventing individual Awami League members from entering the race, despite the party itself remaining banned.

"There is absolutely no problem," he said when asked whether former Awami League members would be permitted to participate in local polls.

The adviser stressed, however, that participation must be strictly on an individual basis. Campaigning under the banner of the banned Awami League, or using the party's name, symbols, or slogans, would not be allowed.

"Any individual can participate in the election," Zahed said. "But it becomes a problem if someone campaigns using the name, slogans, or organisational structure of a banned entity."

Noting that local government elections are officially non-partisan, he said candidates are not required to run under any political party's banner.

"If someone fulfils the existing legal criteria and wishes to contest the election, they are free to do so. There is no reason for the government to create obstacles," he added.

The statement marks the clearest indication yet that rank-and-file Awami League figures still in the country could return to electoral politics, even as the party itself remains excluded from the political process.

The Awami League was barred from participating in February's general election following the 2024 student-led uprising that ended the 15-year rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina later fled to India and was subsequently convicted of war crimes over her government's crackdown on protesters.

With local government elections expected to begin toward the end of 2026, the government's position suggests a limited pathway for former Awami League activists to re-enter public life — provided they do so as independent candidates and without invoking the banned party.

Zahed also said the local election cycle is expected to take between 10 months and a year to complete once voting begins.

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