The first phase of upazila election are underway where 97 Upazilas of the country began voting from 8am and will continue until 4pm in the afternoon.
The BNP, who did not participate in the January 5 national election, are contesting in this poll held throughout 40 districts of the country on Wednesday.
No untoward incident has been reported until 9am. Election Commission has said they took all necessary measures to ensure a peaceful voting atmosphere.
One platoon of the military has been deployed through each Upazila as striking force in addition to police, elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
A total of 6,589 local observers and 71 others from abroad will witness the Upazila poll set up through 42,756 voting stations in the Upazilas.
A total of 1,259 candidates are contesting for the posts of chairman, vice-chairman and reserved women vice-chairman.
Among the 429 contesting for the chairman posts, 133 are from the tent of BNP (including rebel candidates), 165 from Awami Legaue (including rebel), 29 from Jamaat-e-Islami, 21 from Jatiya Party and eight others from other Islamist parties.
BNP have already written to the Election Commission expressing doubts that the upazila poll will be farcical, similar to that of the January 5 parliamentary election.