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Election fever grips villages


Published : 07 Mar 2021 09:31 PM

Election flavour is now soaking villages across the country centering the balloting to the lowest tier of the local government. The aspirants of Union Parishad (UP) elections became active since the polls to UP chairman and member posts are weeks away.

Probable candidates of the elections have begun mobilising in their respective areas to woo the voters. Some people from local areas said that the probable candidates in many areas of the country have already started unofficial election campaign although elections to most of the UPs will be held after Ramzan.  

However, political aspirants have already begun their exercise to impress high command and senior leaders of their respective parties to manage party nomination. 

The election in UP chairman post will see direct participation of political parties for the second time this year. Registered political parties will be able to take part only in chairmen elections. However, the non-party candidates will take part in elections of members and reserved women seats.

The Election Commission is going to hold elections to 323 Union Parishads on April 11 in the first phase. The polls to nine municipalities in the sixth phase of municipal elections will also be held on that day. The EC has selected 42 Union Parishads for voting through EVM.

The elections to other UPs will be held after Ramzan in phases as Ramzan will be observed from mid-April.

Lukan Uddin, a probable candidate of elections to No. 7 Dakshin Banigram Union Parishad at Kanaighat upazila in Sylhet, has said that although the elections at their union will be held after Ramzan, many candidates become active to woo the voters. He said that he was a chairman candidate in the last UP elections but he did not win. He will try to win the elections this time and for this reason, he has already become active.  

Masud Ahmed, running chairman of the union, said that he was elected in last election with the symbol ‘boat’ and he hopes that he will get Awami League’s nomination again this time. 

BNP has decided not to take part in Union Parishad elections anymore under the party banner although it participated in the municipal polls.

Some insiders of ruling Awami League said that although BNP won’t take part in the upcoming UP polls, UP chairman aspirants of the ruling party began hectic lobbying to draw the attention of party’s influential leaders. 

Sayem Ahmed, an UP chairman aspirant of Sylhet region, said that he has visited the residence of Awami League’s organising secretary Shafiul Alam Nadel and many other leaders of the party and expressed his willing about participation in the election to them.    

Of the about 4,500 Union Parishads across the country, more than 4,300 are eligible for polls this year. The last elections to the Union Parishads were held in six phases in 2016. The previous round of the elections were held on March 22, March 31, April 23, May 7, May 28 and June 4 in 2016.

The term of a Union Parishad consisting of a chairman and 12 members representing the wards is five years from the date of the first meeting as the tenure of the chairmen begin from the day of his first meeting in office.