Voting for six union parishad elections began from 8am on Monday and will continue till 4pm.
All the 55 centres in the election have been identified as vulnerable.
A total of 31 chairman candidates are contesting in the election. Besides, 55 candidates are contesting for reserved posts and 162 candidates for general membership. Already candidates have been elected unopposed as general member in two wards.
Sufficient number of law and order forces including two platoons of BGB are on duty to make the elections fair and peaceful.
Sources from the district election office said that Birbasinda and Parkhi union parishad elections are being held in Kalihati upazila. Polling for Hatibandha, Hikaya Rajabari, Kalia and Barachona union parishad elections is underway in Sakhipur upazila. A total of 109,128 voters will exercise their voting rights. Among them 54,390 are male voters and 54,738 female voters.
Sources also said that three judicial magistrates and seven executive magistrates are serving in the election. A total of 714 policemen are performing duty in the election.
Depending on the centre, each centre has six-eight policemen and seven-eight Ansar members on duty. One mobile team is working for every three centres. Each union has one striking force. RAB team is also working in the field.
In this regard, Superintendent of Police Sarkar Mohammad Qaiser said: “Sufficient number of law and order forces are performing their duty to ensure free and fair elections of these union parishads before the national elections. This election will be better than the last one.”
In this regard, Senior District Election Officer Mohammad Matiur Rahman said: “Every centre is considered important. Measures have been taken so that the voters can come to the centre to cast their votes and go home after voting. There is no scope for any irregularities in the election. More law and order forces are on duty this time than in any other election.”