Due to the lack of public representatives across the country, the District Commissioners (DCs) are having to perform their duties overtime. Even to relieve the extra pressure, they are demanding local government elections as soon as possible, said Asif Mahmud, Youth and Sports Advisor and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Advisor.
He made these remarks in response to a question from reporters after speaking at the three-day District Commissioners' Conference on Tuesday (February 18) afternoon.
Asif Mahmud said, "You know that a special situation is going on in the country. There are no public representatives in various organizations of our local government. Their responsibilities are being fulfilled by the divisional commissioners and district administrators. We have heard the problems that are being created from that place in today's DC conference and addressed them."
When asked whether there is a possibility of local elections before the national elections, he said, "Every divisional commissioner has to perform some additional duties outside their main duties. The district administrators have to perform the duties of the chairman of the district council in their spare time. The problem is that when an officer performs two or three more duties outside his own duties, it becomes impossible for him to perform any of them properly. That is why I personally think that public representatives should be brought into charge through local elections before the national elections."
