Joynal Abedin Khan :The polls in 710 unions of 46 districts will be held today (Saturday) amid tension and fear of violence, as many ruling party candidates are at loggerheads with the rebel candidates.But the Election Commission (EC), which is under fire for continuous rigging of votes and irregularities, is optimistic about the peaceful polling of the last phase of election.On February 11, The EC announced the schedule for 4,279 UPs elections out of total 4,500 unions in six phases. After today, election in 4046 unions will be completed.The polling will start at 8:00 am and will continue until 4:00pm without a break, said officials of the Election Commission (EC).More than 1,00,000 polling officials and around 1,50,000 members of different law enforcing agencies have been posted in the polling centers.All the candidates ended their campaigns on Thursday midnight and the voting materials had been sent to all polling centers on Friday afternoon. The law enforcing agencies said that they were patrolling the polling areas to maintain order.More than 11 million people will exercise their franchise at 6,500 polling centres. About 3,223 candidates are vying for posts of chairmen, over 25,000 for general members and more than 5,000 for reserved seat members. 27 Awami League chairman candidates have already been elected uncontestedAccording to the EC, elections to 712 UPs were held on March 22 in the first phase, 639 UPs on March 31 in the second phase, 615 UPs on April 23 in third phase, 703 on May 7 in the fourth phase, and 717 on May 28 in the fifth phase. AL so far secured as many as 2,267 chairman posts, independent runners 696, while the BNP managed 310 only. Although at least 18 political parties are in the race, the main contest is between the Awami League and the BNP.The voter turnout had been 74 percent, 78 percent, 76 percent, 77 percent and 76.8 percent, respectively, in the first five phases.Over 111 people had been killed and several thousand injured in violence when different groups were desperate to establish supremacy over the polls in the previous five phases of the elections in different districts, according to media reports.The Commission’s Secretary Md Sirajul Islam said “We have taken all steps to hold a fair election. We have reminded the Home Ministry about taking the necessary action to prevent violence and provide security to voters.” “We hope the last phase of the polls will be peaceful,” he said. National Election Observer Council Chairman Prof Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah said, “Killing in the name of vote is unacceptable. We hope the EC will use the law enforcing agencies to control the whole situation. The political parties also will have to cooperate.” But Election Working Group Director Abdul Alim is not hopeful that a fair election will take place. “It is tough to hope for something new amidst all this violence. The EC and the parties will have to work together. We’re just waiting to see what happens in the end,” he said.
