Elections in 721 union parishads across the country are going to be held tomorrow as campaigns ended last night.
This is the first time union polls will be held on party lines.
The Election Commission (EC) announced schedules for elections in 752 unions in the first phase but land issues and voter readjustment led to postponement of polls in 18 unions. Also, elections in 11
unions of Tangail’s Nagarpur upazila will be held on March 23, and two unions of Teknaf upazila on March 27.
Ballot boxes have already reached the offices of returning officers, said election officials.
In the first phase of the elections, 36,456 candidates – 3,034 for chairman posts, 25,847 for member posts and 7,575 for reserved-seat women posts - will compete.
A total of 11,940,741 voters will vote in 7,087 polling stations.
Election Commissioner M Shahnewaz yesterday said: “All preparations for holding the polls have been taken. Campaigns will end on Sunday midnight. Action will be taken if any anomaly is spotted.”
He said the EC had already ordered the law enforcement agencies to be on alert.
“We have been informed of some disputes over the elections. Action has been taken in some cases and will be taken for the remaining cases as well,” said Shahnewaz.
A total of 54 chairmen, 179 members and 54 reserved-seat women members have already been elected uncontested.
Deputy Secretary of the EC’s election management department Shamshul Alam said: “Polls will open at 8am on March 22. Campaigns will end 32 hours before the elections. Also, bringing out processions are prohibited until 48 hours have passed after elections end at 5pm.”
“General holiday will be observed in the unions on the day of voting. To ensure security during the polls, three platoons of BGB members and three RAB teams will be deployed in upazilas,” he said, adding: “In coastal areas, Coast Guard will be on duty instead of BGB.”