Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda has instructed the returning officers for the Upazila Parishad Election not to compromise their duties during the election.
"The election has to be conducted lawfully and neutrally," Huda said while briefing the returning officers of the second phase of the Upazila Election; at the Election Commission office in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Thursday.
"Nobody should compromise their duties during the election," he said.
The chief election commissioner furthered that returning officers can recommend postponing a whole upazila election, if the circumstances call for it.
"The Election Commission can thereupon postpone the election in that particular upazila if the recommendation carries weight," Huda said.
"I have confidence in you [returning officers] that you can conduct the election successfully," the chief election commissioner said while addressing the returning officers.
The Upazila Parishad Election will be held in 480 upazilas in five phases, for the first time ever under political banners, the Election Commission announced.
The first phase of the election—in 87 upazilas under 12 districts: in the Rangpur, Mymensingh, Sylhet and Rajshahi divisions—will be held on March 10.
On February 11, the deadline for submitting nomination papers for the first phase of the election, ended.
The second phase of the Upazila Parishad Election will be held across 129 upazilas, on March 18. The deadline for submitting nomination forms for the second phase will end on February 18.