UNB, Dhaka :
Candidates in the union parishad elections in now-defunct 111 enclaves in the country’s four northern districts passed hectic hours on Friday to win voters’ hearts as the electioneering is set to end on Saturday midnight.
In the UP elections slated for October 31 (Monday), voters of the ex-enclaves in Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Panchagarh are going to exercise their franchise for the first time in the last 69 years.
The campaign in 25 union parishads will officially end at 11:59 pm on
Saturday, 32 hours before the voting opens, said Rangpur Regional Election Officer Monirul Islam said. “All types of rallies, processions and showdowns will remain prohibited in the election areas from Saturday midnight,” he told UNB on Friday.
Noting that the candidates are carrying out campaigns amid a peaceful election environment, Monirul said the Election Commission has taken preparations to arrange the polls in a free and fair manner. Some 20,000 voters of the former enclaves, which previously belonged to India and were later merged with the mainland of Bangladesh, are going to apply their voting rights in the election. Nine of the 25 UPs are in Panchagarh, eight in Lalmonirhat, six in Kurigram and two in Nilphamari. Meanwhile, one UP in Panchagarh, which has no ex-enclave, is going to by-polls. The 111 ex-Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh include 12 in Kurigram, 59 in Lalmonirhat, four in Nilphamari and 36 in Panchagarh. Some 7,016 voters of 36 former enclaves are expected to exercise their voting rights under eight UPs in Panchagarh, while 9,856 voters of 59 ex-enclaves under eight UPs in Lalmonirhat and 3,197 voters of 12 enclaves under six UPs in Kurigram.
Besides, voters of four enclaves under two UPs will be allowed to apply their voting rights in Nilphamari.
Our Panchagarh correspondent adds: Candidates were seen passing hectic hours through begging votes in the eleventh hour on Friday as the curtain will fall on electioneering on Saturday midnight.
Some 39 chairman candidates, 98 women contestants from the reserved seats and 326 member contenders are contesting the election in the eight UPs under Sadar, Boda and Debiganj upazilas of the district. A total of 140,385 voters, including 7,016 from 36 ex-enclaves, will be allowed to elect their representatives in the eight UPs. Panchagarh district election official Md Sarwar Jahan said the lists of presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers have already been finalised. He hoped that the election would be held in a peaceful atmosphere. Lalmonirhat correspondent reports: Some 37 chairman candidates, 167 women contestants from the reserved seats and 213 member contenders are contesting the election in the eight UPs under Sadar, Hatibandha and Patgram upazilas of the district. A total of 128,372 voters, including 9,856 from 59 ex-enclaves, will be allowed to exercise their franchise. Kurigram correspondent adds that some 32 chairman candidates, 90 women contestants from the reserved seats and 219 member contenders are contesting the election in the six UPs under Phulbari and Bhurungamari upazilas of the district. There are 134,849 voters, including 3197 from 12 ex-enclaves. The Election Commission on September 26 last announced the election schedules for the UPs after making the eligible inhabitants of ex-enclaves as voters this year.
Following the ratification of LBA by Indian Loka Sabha and Rajya Sabha unanimously in May 2015, the LBA was implemented from the midnight of July 31, 2015 ending the decade-old sufferings of the people living in enclaves on both sides of Bangladesh and India. Under the agreement, India exchanged 111 enclaves measuring 17,160 acres to Bangladesh and received 51 enclaves covering 7,110 acres. The enclaves’ people had option to choose the citizenship of either Bangladesh or India. All 51 ex-Bangladeshi enclaves are located in Cooch Behar of India.
Candidates in the union parishad elections in now-defunct 111 enclaves in the country’s four northern districts passed hectic hours on Friday to win voters’ hearts as the electioneering is set to end on Saturday midnight.
In the UP elections slated for October 31 (Monday), voters of the ex-enclaves in Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Panchagarh are going to exercise their franchise for the first time in the last 69 years.
The campaign in 25 union parishads will officially end at 11:59 pm on
Saturday, 32 hours before the voting opens, said Rangpur Regional Election Officer Monirul Islam said. “All types of rallies, processions and showdowns will remain prohibited in the election areas from Saturday midnight,” he told UNB on Friday.
Noting that the candidates are carrying out campaigns amid a peaceful election environment, Monirul said the Election Commission has taken preparations to arrange the polls in a free and fair manner. Some 20,000 voters of the former enclaves, which previously belonged to India and were later merged with the mainland of Bangladesh, are going to apply their voting rights in the election. Nine of the 25 UPs are in Panchagarh, eight in Lalmonirhat, six in Kurigram and two in Nilphamari. Meanwhile, one UP in Panchagarh, which has no ex-enclave, is going to by-polls. The 111 ex-Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh include 12 in Kurigram, 59 in Lalmonirhat, four in Nilphamari and 36 in Panchagarh. Some 7,016 voters of 36 former enclaves are expected to exercise their voting rights under eight UPs in Panchagarh, while 9,856 voters of 59 ex-enclaves under eight UPs in Lalmonirhat and 3,197 voters of 12 enclaves under six UPs in Kurigram.
Besides, voters of four enclaves under two UPs will be allowed to apply their voting rights in Nilphamari.
Our Panchagarh correspondent adds: Candidates were seen passing hectic hours through begging votes in the eleventh hour on Friday as the curtain will fall on electioneering on Saturday midnight.
Some 39 chairman candidates, 98 women contestants from the reserved seats and 326 member contenders are contesting the election in the eight UPs under Sadar, Boda and Debiganj upazilas of the district. A total of 140,385 voters, including 7,016 from 36 ex-enclaves, will be allowed to elect their representatives in the eight UPs. Panchagarh district election official Md Sarwar Jahan said the lists of presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers have already been finalised. He hoped that the election would be held in a peaceful atmosphere. Lalmonirhat correspondent reports: Some 37 chairman candidates, 167 women contestants from the reserved seats and 213 member contenders are contesting the election in the eight UPs under Sadar, Hatibandha and Patgram upazilas of the district. A total of 128,372 voters, including 9,856 from 59 ex-enclaves, will be allowed to exercise their franchise. Kurigram correspondent adds that some 32 chairman candidates, 90 women contestants from the reserved seats and 219 member contenders are contesting the election in the six UPs under Phulbari and Bhurungamari upazilas of the district. There are 134,849 voters, including 3197 from 12 ex-enclaves. The Election Commission on September 26 last announced the election schedules for the UPs after making the eligible inhabitants of ex-enclaves as voters this year.
Following the ratification of LBA by Indian Loka Sabha and Rajya Sabha unanimously in May 2015, the LBA was implemented from the midnight of July 31, 2015 ending the decade-old sufferings of the people living in enclaves on both sides of Bangladesh and India. Under the agreement, India exchanged 111 enclaves measuring 17,160 acres to Bangladesh and received 51 enclaves covering 7,110 acres. The enclaves’ people had option to choose the citizenship of either Bangladesh or India. All 51 ex-Bangladeshi enclaves are located in Cooch Behar of India.
