Staff Reporter :
The ongoing Union Parishad’s (UP) seventh phase election to 138 UPs in 24 upazilas of 20 districts will be held on today (Monday).
The balloting will begin at 8am and continue till 4pm without any break.
A total of 5,874 candidates, including 576 chairmen, 1, 236 reserved women and 4, 062 general member contenders are in the electoral race in the 138 UPs, joint secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat SM Asaduzzaman said on Sunday.
But 71 contestants, including 11 chairmen, 13 reserved women and 47 general member candidates, have already been elected unopposed, finding no rival candidate against their post.
More than 2.45 million voters – 1.2 million male and 1.1 million females- are there under a total of 1,350 polling stations in the 138 UPs.
Of them, the electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used in nine UPs, while the traditional ballot papers will be used in the rest ones.
On December 29 last, the EC announced the schedule for the 7th phase countrywide UP election. The deadline for submission of nomination papers expired on January 12 last.
The 138 UPs are in 20 districts i.e 24 in Cumilla, 19 in Rangamati, 17 in Rangpur, 16 in Chattogram, 11 in Mymensingh, nine in Kishoreganj, eight in Noakhali, seven in Sunamganj, six in Patuakhali, five in Khagrachhari,three in Bandarban, two each in Thakurgaon, Nilphamari,Joypurhat and Sirajganj, one each in Chuadanga, Jhenaidah, Pirojpur, Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar.
Ahead of seventh phase UP polls, the law enforcement agencies mobile team and striking force including police, APBN and Ansar members will be deployed to maintain peaceful voting environment, according to EC officials.
In each Upazila, two mobile teams of RAB, BGB and coast guard (for coastal area) and one striking force of each of them will work for destroying any untoward incident during polls.
