12 more upazilas go to polls Monday

As part of the staggered elections, 12 more upazila councils in eight districts are going to polls on Monday.

The voting will open at 8:00am and continue till 4:00pm without any break.

The Election Commission has already completed all the necessary preparations for the voting in the upazila councils, EC acting secretary Sirajul Islam said at a press briefing on Sunday.

“Some 2,000 members of law enforcement agencies, including 7,000 police personnel will ensure security in the 12 upazilas during the voting. Five armed police members will guard each polling station,” he added.

An election-friendly environment has been created so that voters can go to the polling centres and exercise their franchises without any fear, he claimed.
"The elections will be held fairly,” he hoped.

A total of 179 candidates are contesting the elections against 36 posts in the 12 upazilas. Of them, 61 are chairman candidates and 69 vice chairman contenders, and 49 vice chairman candidates for the post set aside for women.

There are 18,45,133 voters — 9,15,087 males and 9,30,046 females — who can exercise their franchise in 4930 booths of 746 polling stations in the upazilas.

The 12 upazilas are Kaunia, Gangachhara, Sadar and Pirgachha of Rangpur, Kamarkhand of Sirajganj, Taltali of Barguna, Basail of Tangail, Gazipur Sadar, Kalukhali of Rajbari, Bijoynagar of Brahmanbaria, and Adarsha Sadar and Sadar Dakkhin of Comilla.

Besides, by-polls to chairman post of Tarakanda upazila in Mymensingh will be held on Monday.

Three chairman candidates are in the race for the post.

On 16 April, the EC announced the election schedule for the 14 upazilas and subsequently postponed elections in two upazilas –Bandar of Narayanganj, Rangabali of Patuakhali.

Earlier this year, the commission, in five previous phases, completed elections in 459 out of the country’s 487 upazilas.