Last phase of upazila election today
The fifth and last phase of upazila election takes place today in 20 upazilas.
BNP and several other parties are boycotting the election that began on March 10 this year.
Election Commission secretary Md Alamgir yesterday said they had taken preparations for a free and fair election. “There is nothing to be worried about,” he said at a pre-election briefing at EC.
The EC primarily decided to hold elections in 23 upazilas in the fifth phase, but election will not take place at three upazilas -- Adarsho Sadar and Sadar Dakkhin of Cumilla, and Bancharampur of Brahmanbaria -- as the chairman, vice-chairman and female vice-chairman were all elected unopposed.
The previous four phases of the polls were held on March 10, 18, 24 and 31.
For the first time in Bangladesh, political parties are nominating aspirants for upazila council, including chairman, vice-chairman and female vice-chairman.
But the turnouts of voters in the four phases of Upazila Parishad election were lower than the previous elections.
About 36.50 percent of voters cast votes in the fourth phase, according to data provided by the Election Commission.
EC data shows that turnout of voters was 43.31 percent in the first phase, 41.25 percent in the second phase and 41.41 percent in the third.
Voter turnout in the 2009 upazila polls was 70.57 percent; it declined to 61.23 percent in 2014.
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