Upazila Polls: Second phase on March 18

The Election Commission yesterday announced schedule of the second-phase election to 129 upazila parishads slated for March 18.

EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed declared the polls schedule at a press conference at the Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon of the capital in the afternoon.

The first phase of the five-phase election will be held on March 10. For the first time, political parties will nominate aspirants in the upazila election.

Helal at the press conference said the last date for filing nomination papers is February 18. The papers will be scrutinised until February 20 and last date for withdrawing candidature is February 27.

According to the schedule, second phase of the local body polls will be held in all upazilas of Thakurgaon, Rangpur, Gaibandha and Dinajpur districts under Rangpur division and all upazilas of Bogura, Naogaon and Pabna districts under Rajshahi division.

Polls will also be held in all upazilas of Sylhet and Moulvibazar under Sylhet division; Goapalganj and Faridpur districts under Dhaka division; and all upazilas of Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari districts under Chattogram division.

Besides polls will be held in, Hatiya upazila of Noakhali, Chakaria of Cox's Bazar and Sitakunda, Swandip, Rangunia, Fatikchhari, Mirsarai, Rouzan and Hathazari upazilas of Chhatogram district.

Elected representatives from other local government bodies should resign from their posts if they wish to participate in the upazila parishad election, Helal said.

The commission is yet to take any decision whether incumbent chairmen of the upazila parishads will be able to take part in the election without resigning, he added.

This matter will be settled before February 11, the last date for submitting nomination papers for the first phase of polls, Helal said.    

Asked about the use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the polls, Helal replied that rules to use EVM in upazila election have been sent to the Ministry of Law for vetting. After getting approval, the EC will take decision in this regard.

EVM will not be used in the first-phase upazila council election, he said.

Earlier on January 14, Helal said that EC was planning to use EVM in every Sadar upazila of the country in the upazila polls.

Election to 87 upazila parishads in 12 districts under Rangpur, Mymensingh, Sylhet and Rajshahi divisions will be held in the first phase.

The first upazila polls were held in 1985, with the following three in 1990, 2009 and 2014.