The government has appointed six leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party as administrators to six city corporations, including the two Dhaka city corporations, across the country.

The local government division on Sunday issued a notification confirming the appointments, which placed BNP figures in charge of Dhaka South, Dhaka North, Khulna, Sylhet, Narayanganj and Gazipur city corporations.

The government has appointed administrators to the city corporations across the country amid preparations for upcoming local government elections.

BNP chairperson’s advisory council member Md Abdus Salam has been appointed the administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation.

In Dhaka North City Corporation, the responsibility has been given to BNP leader Md Shafiqul Islam Khan, who contested from the Dhaka-15 constituency in the 13th parliamentary election, but lost to Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami amir Shafiqur Rahman.

BNP central organising secretary Nazrul Islam Manju has been appointed administrator of Khulna City Corporation.

Manju, a former MP for Khulna-2 was also defeated by a Jamaat-backed candidate in the 13th parliamentary elections held on February 12.

Sylhet district unit BNP president Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury has been made administrator of Sylhet City Corporation, while Narayanganj Metropolitan unit BNP convener Md Sakhawat Hossain Khan has been assigned to Narayanganj City Corporation.

In Gazipur, Metropolitan unit BNP president Md Shawkat Hossain Sarkar has been appointed the administrator.

According to the notification, the appointments have been made under Section 25A(1) of the Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024.

The administrators will serve on a full-time basis until elected corporations are constituted.

Under Section 25A(3) of the ordinance, they will exercise the powers and perform the duties of mayors and will receive allowances in accordance with the rules.

On August 19, 2024, shortly after assuming office on 8 August, the interim government removed the mayors of 12 city corporations and appointed administrators.

Following the July uprising in 2024, elected representatives from 12 city corporations, 330 municipalities, 497 upazila parishads and several district councils were removed.

At present, all local government institutions, except union parishads, are being run by administrators.

Meanwhile, discussions have begun over holding local government elections following the 13th National Parliament polls.

Towards the end of its tenure, the interim government’s Local government division wrote to the Election Commission requesting preparations for elections to the two Dhaka city corporations and Chattogram City Corporation.

Election commission senior secretary Akhtar Ahmed told New Age on Wednesday that the commission had received letters from the local government division regarding the elections in the three city corporations and that necessary measures were being taken in accordance with the rules.

On the first working day of the new government, local government minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Wednesday told reporters that steps would be taken to arrange elections to local government bodies as swiftly as possible.

Election Commission officials said that the five-year tenure of Dhaka South City Corporation expired on June 1, 2025, and that of Dhaka North ended on June 2, 2025, while the tenure of Chattogram City Corporation expired on February 22 this year.

Under the Local Government (City Corporation) Act, a corporation’s tenure runs for five years from the date of its first meeting, and elections must be held within 180 days preceding the expiry of that term.

In line with this provision, the commission has been requested to take the necessary steps to arrange the polls.