A fresh poll fervour grips nation after the January 7 general election as the Election Commission (EC) will hold elections to local bodies across the country. The EC will hold the polls to a total of 233 local government bodies on March 9.
Among the 233 are the Mymensingh City Corporation polls and the Cumilla City Corporation mayoral by-polls. Besides, elections and by-polls to 231 municipalities, wards of different city corporations, union parishads and zila parishads will also be held on the same day.
The commission also plans to hold the upazila elections across the country by April 30 taking into account the SSC examinations beginning in February and the month of holy Ramadan (March). The government local body polls will be held in phases from the last week of April and continue till 31 May.
The EC has already proved its impartiality, boldness and capability of holding free, fair and credible Parliamentary polls on January 7. So, the upazila polls are also expected to be held in a free, fair and peaceful manner. The ruling Awami League has decided not to field party candidates and so, it will not allocate the party’s poll symbol ‘Boat’ in any local government body polls, including the elections to city corporations, municipalities, and upazila parishads.
EC will hold the polls to a
total of 233 local government
bodies on March 9
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which boycotted the national election, has now decided not to join the upazila parishad polls under the current government. In 2015, the government enacted laws on local government bodies which allow registered political parties to nominate candidates in the local body polls.
In view of massive violence and hooliganism across the country during the elections to city corporations, municipalities, upazila parishads and union parishads in the past, the ruling AL has taken the decision. In the last 10 years, leaders of the AL and its associate organisations got involved in internal feuds that often turned violent centring the local body elections.
Many people, mostly activists of the AL, were killed and many injured in separate clashes between supporters of rival candidates in different districts during the upazila and UP polls. Attacks and exchange of fire over elections became a daily affair while people got panicked over the killing and violence every day.
On the other hand, candidates who want to contest different local body polls have already started passing their hectic days through polls campaigning in their respective areas. They have started showdown through meetings and mass contacts.
They have set up big banners and posters at the important points in their areas, intersections of highways and road, and on boundary walls. Containing the images of the candidates of various colourful posters have already been pasted in different areas of the country. We hope, the upcoming elections to different local bodies will be competitive with the participation of many qualified candidates.