The Election Commission is now planning to hold elections in the 487 upazila parishads in the second week of April. It is likely to announce the poll schedule early in March.
The EC has started making preparations to hold the fourth upazila parishad polls; it will start training election officials in the last week of February, a senior EC official yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune. The official said the commission had decided to hold the election with the updated voter lists, and it would inform the LGRD ministry about the decision soon.
Election Commissioner Md Shah Newaz said the commission would hold the upazila parishad polls as soon as possible after completing the remaining tasks of the 10th general election. As per laws, the upazila parishads poll must be held within the first week of May.
He, however, said the full commission would decide when the election would be held.
The third upazila parishads polls, held in 481 upazila parishads, was on January 22, 2009 and the first meetings of these local government bodies were held at different times in April-May that year.
According to the laws, the elections to upazila parishads must be held at least 180 days before the expiry of their five-year tenures, which started with the first meeting of the parishad.
The country now has 487 upazila parishads. Chairmen and vice-chairmen of upazila parishads are elected by direct voting.
Elections of reserved female members did not take place in 2009 because of legal complications. But the EC has amended the relevant laws in the meantime.
EC officials said the number of polling centres would be increased to over 40,000 in the upazila parishads polls, and it had already procured electoral equipment and printed election papers.
The EC had estimated a probable expenditure of Tk489 crore for the election, an official said.
The EC did not hold the by-election of 29 upazila parishads and four new upazilas because of the 10th parliamentary polls.
