Staff Reporter :
Elections in about 163 union parishads, out of 367 scheduled to be held on June 21, have been suspended.
The Election Commission on Thursday decided it in an urgent meeting amid a surge of Covid-19 infections in the electoral areas.
Election Commission Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandakar said it to the journalists after the meeting.
As per the decision, Humayun Kabir said, polls of 68 union parishads in Bagerhat, 34 in Khulna, 21 in Satkhira, 13 in Noakhali, 12 in Chittagong, and 15 in Cox’s Bazar district have been postponed.
The meeting sources also said that election in nine municipalities, out of 11, scheduled for June 21, have also been suspended.
The commission decided to suspend the polls as per the recommendation of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
The commission reviewed the suggestion also taking opinions from local administration and regional election officials, Humayun Kabir added.
However, voting of 204 other union parishads will take place on June 21, the EC Secretary said.
He said that by-polls to Lakshmipur 2 constituency will also be held as per the schedule (June 21).
Meanwhile, the EC rescheduled the by-polls to Comilla 5, Dhaka 14, and Sylhet 3 to July 28 from July 14, sources said.
Earlier, the IEDCR asked the EC not to go voting in Union parishads as the Covid-19 infections on rise in different districts especially in bordering areas.
It warned that polls might be triggered further increase of infections as it naturally cause huge gathering and create hardness to maintain health safety measures.
