In the first phase of the country’s sixth Upazila Parishad elections, already endorsed by the Awami League but boycotted by its archrival BNP, voters will begin exercising their franchise at 8am on Wednesday in 138 upazilas across 59 districts.
The balloting is scheduled to continue until 4 pm without any recess.
Hours before the polling commenced, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Tuesday sought the cooperation of all concerned to ensure that the upazila parishad polls are conducted in a free, fair, and neutral manner.
As of on Tuesday afternoon, some 1,630 candidates, including nearly 570 chairman contenders, were in the electoral race in the 139 upazila parishads, vying for a total of 417 posts – including chairman, vice-chairman, and women vice-chairman positions in each upazila.
However, in a last-minute decision, the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday suspended the Sarishabari Upazila Parishad election in Jamalpur following a legal dispute over the nomination of a candidate. Nonetheless, voting is being held in the district’s Sadar Upazila.
Prior to the election, the EC had estimated more than 28 million voters across the 139 upazilas.
CEC warns of action
“There are utmost efforts to thwart exertion of influence in voting process, all concerned have already been given instructions to prevent irregularities,” CEC Awal said while briefing journalists at EC Bhaban in Dhaka.
“The EC will remain watchful and it will monitor the voting centrally…action will be taken instantly if any irregularity is found in any polling centre,” he added.
The CEC said steps have already been taken so that the ministers and lawmakers cannot exert their influences. Necessary instructions have also been given to authorities concerned so that none can enter the polling booths to carry out irregularities, he added.
“If the people concerned carry out their responsibilities properly, the election will be trouble-free,” he observed.
He said the EC received complaints from the field level and took steps accordingly to solve those. Even the EC cancelled the candidature of some candidates based on its investigation, he said, adding that the government has also made its position clear regarding holding free and fair polls.
AL-BNP face off continues
As it happened in the last few elections, including the general polls held on January 7, the ruling Awami League lauded the election and encouraged voters to practice their voting right.
But the BNP urged the voters not to go to the polling stations.
Some left-leaning parties also refrained from joining the upazila election.
Security heightened
A security team of 17-19 members would guard each polling station in the plain districts, while a security team of 19-21 members would protect a polling station in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and very remote areas. The balloting will be held in some 10,400 polling stations.
A total of 418 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed ahead of the first phase of the upazila parishad polls.
"The BGB personnel will work as a mobile and striking force to maintain peace and order in the electoral areas of the upazilas from May 6 to 10 to assist the local administration under Aid to the Civil Power," said a press release on Tuesday.
A total of 159,874 members of Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defense Force have also been deployed to maintain law and order during the polls.
The coastguard will act as a mobile and striking force in the islands of the coastal area.
A ban has been imposed on the movement of taxicabs, micro-buses, pickups, trucks, launches, engine-driven boats (except those plying on specific routes) in the respective constituencies from 12pm on Tuesday to till 12pm on Wednesday.
The existing ban on motorcycle movement will remain in force till Thursday midnight.
The Public Security department of the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued instructions to the license holders not to travel with weapons or to carry and display them seven days before the polling and seven days after the polling.
Looking back
On March 21, the EC announced the election schedule for 152 upazila parishads in the first phase.
But all the candidates in five upazilas – Hatia in Noakhali, Munshiganj Sadar, Bagerhat Sadar, Parshuram in Feni and Shibchar in Madaripur– have already been elected uncontested, finding no rival contestant for their respective posts.
Besides, the elections to eight other upazilas were postponed on different grounds. The eight upazilas are Narayanganj Sadar, Kumarkhali in Kushtia, Thanchi and Rowangchhari in Bandarban, Gopalpur in Tangail, Mohadevpur in Naogaon, Nangalkot in Comilla and Sarishabari in Jamalpur.
This time, the EC is arranging the sixth Upazila Parishad election in four phases. The commission has already declared the election schedule to hold polls in some 480 upazilas out of the country’s 495 Upazilas.
The second phase election will be held in some 160 upazilas on May 21, while the third phase in 110 Upazilas on May 29 and 4th phase polls more than 50 upazilas on June 5.
