The Election Commission has already started preparations to hold the local government elections in a free and neutral manner, Local Government and Rural Development Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told Parliament on Tuesday.

“In order to arrange the next local government polls in a free, fair and impartial manner, the Election Commission has already started necessary preparations,” Fakhrul, also the minister in charge of the Election Commission (EC) Secretariat in Parliament, said in reply to a starred question from treasury bench member Sheikh Md Rejaul Islam (Naogaon-6).

Fakhrul said the EC has undertaken the necessary preparations to ensure that a credible and participatory local government election is held within the stipulated timeframe.

Replying to a question from NCP lawmaker Hasnat Abdullah (Cumilla-4), the minister said the EC introduced, for the first time, an IT-supported postal ballot registration system to facilitate voting by Bangladeshis living abroad.

He said the initiative will continue in the next national election and that the Election Commission is working to bring the maximum number of expatriate Bangladeshis under the postal balloting system to ensure their voting rights.

In response to a question from opposition Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Abdul Karim (Gaibandha-2) Fakhrul Islam said right now the government has no plan to increase the salaries and allowances of union parishad chairmen and members.