Dhaka, May 6 -- Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) Minister Md Tazul Islam has said that participating in the local government elections with party nomination or as an individual candidate both have merits and demerits.

He also said that the upazila election with or without party symbol does not conflict with existing law.

He made the remarks while addressing a debate competition at the auditorium of the Film Development Corporation (FDC) in the city on Sunday.

Debate for Democracy organised the event, with its chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiran, in the chair.

The LGRD Minister said votes cast in the name of dead persons or children is an isolated incident, and is not desirable.

He said that things change o...