Staff Reporter :
Elections to 97 upazilas across the country are going be held tomorrow (Wednesday) in the first phase. Election will also be held to another one on February 24 in the first phase.
Both the side- the ruling Awami League and the BNP-led alliance- have the elections seriously, as the election is a prestige issue for them. The BNP-led alliance is hoping that it-backed candidates will bag majority while the AL is also trying to bag the majority.
In order to maintain law and order, the Election Commission (EC) has decided to deploy army for five days in each phase of the upazila elections. The army started
election duties from yesterday (Monday) in the upazilas, where the elections are going to held tomorrow. A platoon comprising 33 members will patrol each upazila. Besides, additional army men and other regular law enforcers will also be deployed in the upazilas as the striking force, said the EC officials.
The army will perform duties at upazilas with the aim to make their presence visible to voters. They will not discharge duties inside polling centres.
According to the EC Secretariat, a total of 1,274 candidates are in the race of the first-phase voting in the 98 upazilas. Of them, 432 are vying for the post of chairman while 513 for the post of vice-chairman and 329 for woman vice-chairman post.
Altogether 1,732 people had filed their nomination papers. Some of them could not stand scrutiny, while 405 withdrew from the contest. Among them, 234 withdrew from chairman, 126 from vice-chairman and 45 from women’s reserved vice-chairman posts.
The EC has declared three candidates unopposed as vice-chairman. In Kazipur upazila of Sirajganj, the Vice-Chairman has been elected uncontested. Similarly, candidates for women Vice-Chairman at Jazira of Sariatpur and Dupchanchia of Bogra have won uncontested in the absence of any other aspirants.
On January 19, the EC announced the schedule for the first phase elections in 102 upazilas in 40 districts, later it postponed polls four upazilas in Rangpur district tdue to complications over demarcation of boundaries. The upazilas are Gangachhara, Kawnia, Peergachha and Rangpur sadar.
There are 487 upazila parishads across the country. Of them, the EC is going to arrange election to nearly 480 upazila parishads before June. Elections to 117 upazilas will be held on February 27 in the second phase.
