Election euphoria is already visible across the country as the polls to 4,100 union parishads are likely to be held in phases from March next year.
The country has about 4,571 union parishads. And the last union parishad elections were held in several phases from March 22, 2016, to June 4, 2016.
According to union parishad election rules, an election should be held 180 days before the tenure of the union parishad expires.
But people seem to be in a state of poll-feverish excitement much ahead of the elections.
According to Election commission sources, the polls must be completed between the last week of September this year and the third week of March next year.
Besides, the commission is also passing busy times to hold by-election to four constituencies.
The constituencies fell vacant following the demise of respective MPs of those constituencies.
The commission has already announced schedule for by-polls to Pabna-4, Dhaka-5 and Naogaon-6 constituencies.
The schedule for by-polls to Dhaka-18 and Sirajagan-1 is supposed to be declared in November and the EC will hold elections in two constituencies by December. Besides, the commission is also working to hold elections to 250 municipal polls across the country by December.
It is likely to announce polls schedules of municipalities next week.
Centring the upcoming by-polls and elections to municipalities and union parishads, leaders and workers of the ruling Awami League, opposition Jatiya Party and major political party Bangladesh Nationalist Party have become active in their respective areas.
The Awami League has finalized the party candidates for Dhaka-5 and Naogaon-6 constituencies in the upcoming by-elections out of four constituencies.
They are Monirul Islam Manu for Dhaka-5 constituency and Md. Anwar Hossain Helal for Naogaon-6 constituency.
Earlier, Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina directed her party leaders and activists to ensure the victory of party candidates in the upcoming by-polls to five constituencies.
On the other hand, BNP has also started selling nomination forms among the party’s aspirants for by-elections to four parliamentary constituencies in Dhaka, Sirajganj and Naogaon.
On the first day on Thursday, a total of 22 nomination papers were sold at party’s Nayapaltan central office, party sources said.
Of them, five aspirants bought the form for each Dhaka-5 and Dhaka-18, three for Sirajganj-1 and nine for Naogaon-6.
Talking to media, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said their party has decided to join all the upcoming elections and by-polls.
He also said their party’s nomination board will finalise the candidates for Dhaka-5, Dhaka-18, Naogaon-6 and Sirajganj-1 by-elections today (Saturday)
“We’re in favour of taking part in the polls. We stayed away from by-polls to two seats (Bogura and Jessore) due to coronavirus. We’ve now decided to join the local body polls, including upazila ones,” the BNP leader said.
The Election Commission was yet to announce the schedule for the by-elections to the remaining two constituencies.
Jatiya Party is also taking preparation to join the upcoming by-elections. Talking to Bangladesh Post Jatiya Party chairman G.M.Quader said they will also take part in the by-elections to four constituencies. He also said the party is also taking preparations to take part in UP elections as well.
As the elections are approaching nearer, the political parties geared up its organisational activities to woo vote in favour of their candidates in all by-polls and municipalities and union parishad elections.
The leaders and activists are now holding views-exchange meetings, discussions and various programmes with grassroots leaders in order to make their respective political parties united.