Almost all-out preparations have been completed by the district and upazila administrations to hold the municipal polls of Gaibandha and Sundarganj Municipalities of the district tomorrow in a free, fair and peaceful manner, reports BSS.
The polling will start at 8 am and will continue 4 pm without any break. A public holiday has been announced in the district to enable the voters for exercising their rights to franchise, office sources said.
A total of 51,387 voters, 24,590 are male and 26,797 are female, will cast their votes through 31 voting centres with 153 booths in Gaibandha Municipality of the district, sources said.
On the other hand, as many as 14,071 voters, 6,863 are male and 7,202 are female, will cast their votes through nine centres with 44 booths in Sundarganj Municipality of the district.
All concerned including the members of law enforcement agencies and the officials have been asked to discharge their duties neutrally rising all sorts of fear, said Deputy Commissioner and also the District Magistrate (DM) Abdul Matin.
Officials, engaged in the polling, had already been imparted need base training for taking votes smoothly, Abdul Matin said. Members of the RAB, BGB including other law enforcers will be deployed so that the voters could cast their votes without any difficulties, said Superintendent of Police (SP) Md. Towhidul Islam.
Mobile teams and striking forces drawn from RAB, BGB and police will patrol the Municipality areas and be placed in important places of the municipalities, the SP added.
Mobile and summary courts in the polling centres will instantly try the violators of law during the polling. A magistrate will accompany each team, the election office sources said.
A total of eight candidates are contesting for the post of mayor, 17 for three reserved female councilors and 41 for nine councilors in Gaibandha Municipality and on the other hand, as many as seven candidates are contesting for the post of mayor, 11 for three reserved councilors and 32 for councilors of Sundarganj Municipality.
On Friday noon, the presiding officers, the assistant presiding officers and the polling officers were seen to go to their respective voting centers with election materials like ballot papers, ballot boxes, seals and indelible ink from District Election office of the town.