The polls to 161 Union Parishads (UPs) and nine municipalities in the country will be held today.
The Election Commission (EC) has already completed all the preparations for holding the elections in a peaceful manner.
Police, BGB, RAB, executive magistrates and Ansar personnel were deployed in the respective electoral areas.
Voting will begin at 8:00 am and will continue till 4:00 pm. The voting will be held in the unions and municipalities following the health guidelines.
Meanwhile, a total of 43 chairman candidates from ruling Awami League have been elected uncontested in the UP polls. Of them, 38 were elected in Bagerhat, while four in Sandwip of Chattogram and one in Khulna.
Bagerhat district will see elections to 65 Union Parishads. However, a large number of the voters will be deprived of the opportunity of exercising their right to franchise because chairman candidates in 38 UPs were declared unopposed. In the remaining 27 unions, electronic voting machines (EVM) will be used for four of the UP elections that are spread across Fakirhat, Rampal and Mongla upazilas.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) declared earlier that they would not contest the UP polls. However, a number of Awami League rebel candidates took part in the polls, Jatiya Party candidates are also in the race of the elections.
The nine municipalities, where elections are going to be held today, are-- Boalkhali in Chattogram, Chakaria and Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar, Bhanga in Faridpur, Nangalkot in Cumilla, Sonagazi in Feni, Kabirhat in Noakhali, Nawapara in Jashore, and Debiganj in Panchagarh.
Meanwhile, the 161 Union Parishads are in Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Noakhali, Chattogram and Cox's Bazar. The UPs are Amadi, Bagali, Maheshwaripur, Maharajpur, Koyra, North Bekashi and South Bedkashi of Khulna Koira. Pankhali, Dakop, Laudob, Kailashganj, Sutarkhali, Kamarkhola, Tildanga, Bajua and Banishanta of Dakop, Gangarampur, Baliadanga and Amirpur of Batiaghata, Gazirhat, Barakpur, Dighalia, Senhata, Aranghata, Yogipul of Dighalia, Soladana, Raruli, Garikhali, Chandkhali, Deluti, Lata and Kapilmuni of Paikgacha.
Besides others are Bagerhat Fakirhat’s Betaga, Lakhpur, Piljung, Fakirhat, Bahirdiamansa, Naldha Maubhog and Shubhdia. Udaipur, Chunkhola, Kodalia, Atjuri, Gaola and Kulia of Mollahat. Barabaria, Hijla, Shibpur, Chitalmari, Charbaniari, Kalatla and Santoshpur of Chitalmari, Kachua Gajalia, Dhopakhali, Maghia, Gopalpur, Raripara and Badhal, Rampal's Gaurambha, Baintala, Hurka, Mallik's fence, Banshtali, Ujalpur, Rampal, Perikhali and Bhojpatiya, Chandpai, Burirdanga, Chila, Mithakhali, Sonailtala and Sundarbans of Mongla, Panchkaran of Morelganj, Daibajnahati, Chingrakhali, Hoglapasha, Banagram, Balaibunia, Hoglabunia, Baharbunia, Nishanbaria, Morelganj, Teligati, Putikhali, Ramchandrapur, Jiudhara, Barikhali, Dhansagar, Khontakata, Rayenda, Southkhali of Sharankhola, Baruipara, Bemarata, Bishnupur, Dema, Karapara, Khanpur and Rakhalgachhi of Bager Sadar.
The 10th UP elections are being held in four phases. The first phase of the UP polls will end today, while the second phase is likely to be held in early November, the third phase of the voting will take place in mid-November and the fourth phase will be held at the end of November or first week of December, said EC sources.
In March this year, the EC decided to hold elections to all UPs in several phases. As per the decision, the schedule for holding polls to 371 UPs in the first phase was announced on March 3 and the elections date was fixed on April 11. However, the election was postponed due to the Covid-19 situation.
Later on June 3, the elections were rescheduled for June 21. However, as the Covid-19 situation worsened in bordering areas, polls were postponed in 167 UPs and the polls were held to the rest of 204 UPs.
Later, the EC in the beginning of September decided to hold the elections to 161 Union Parishads on September 20. The commission took the decision as the Covid-19 infections had been decreased.
On February 11 in 2016, the schedule for the 9th UP elections were announced in party-symbol for the first time and the elections were held in that year in five phases in about 4500 UPs. The UP elections this year are also being held in party-symbol.
