District council members sworn in

The district council members elected in the first ever election on December 28 took oath this morning.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperative Minister Engineer Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain administered the oath in two phases at a function at Osmani Memorial auditorium in Dhaka.

A total of 558 district council members of Dhaka, Mymensingh, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions took oath in first phase while 611 others of Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna and Barisal divisions were sworn in the second phase.

Local Government Division arranged the function. State Minister for LGRD Ministry Moshiur Rahman Ranga was present on the occasion.

The district council polls in 61 districts, excluding the three in Chittagong Hill Tracts, were held on December 28 last while elections in Kushtia and Bogra were suspended following the High Court order.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said, "The election to 61 district councils was held on December 28, 2016 for the first time in the history of 131 years to strengthen the activities of the councils as well as making it pro-people."

"The government enacted the District Council Act-2000 and later brought amendment to it in 2016 due to efforts of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to make it time befitting," he also said.