Polls in 300 out of 482 upazilas in Oct

The Election Commission (EC) plans to hold upazila parishad elections in over 300 upazilas out of 482 on October 22 or 23 and it might announce the election schedule next month.
"The ongoing preparations are aimed at holding the polls on either October 22 or 23," a senior official at the EC Secretariat said.
Polls to the rest of the upazila parishads will be held following the parliamentary polls, supposedly to be held in the third week of December, sources said adding that the schedule for the remaining upazila parishad elections, however, might be announced before the next elected government assumes office.
The EC at a meeting on last Saturday with Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed underscored the need for a reshuffle in the administration to facilitate the holding of the polls.
Sources said, for holding the upazila polls in the first phase, the EC Secretariat has devised a 93-point work plan.
In the first phase, polls will only be held to the upazilas for which voter rolls will be ready before the announcement of the EC's polls schedule.
As of July 15, final voter rolls for 185 upazilas have already been printed and draft voter rolls for another 155 upazilas have also been completed, according to a report on the progress of the preparation of voter rolls with photographs and the issuing of national identity cards.
As part of the process of finalising voter rolls, the draft voter rolls are currently being made public for the voters' inspection.
Senior officials involved in the preparation of voter rolls said draft voter rolls for 155 upazilas might also be finalised before the polls schedule is announced.
In that case, polls might be held in 340 upazila parishads in the first phase before the parliamentary polls, they observed.
UPAZILAS TO HAVE POLLS FIRST
The upazilas where the voter rolls are ready are -- Gauranadi, Agailjhara, Muladi and Hizla of Barisal district, Sadar and Daulatkhan of Bhola district, Sadar, Kathalia and Nalchhiti of Jhalakathi district, Patuakhali Sadar, Pirojpur Sadar and Mathbaria of Pirojpur district, Amtoli and Barguna Sadar of Barguna district, Bandarban Sadar, Rowangchhari and Ruma of Bandarban, Ashuganj, Kasba, Sarail and Banchharampur of B'Baria, Chandpur Sadar, Hajiganj and Faridganj of Chandpur, Sitakunda, Raozan and Sandwip of Chittagong, Comilla Adarsha Sadar, Comilla Sadar South, Brahmanpara, Burichong, Daudkandi and Meghna of Comilla, Cox's Bazar Sadar, Maheskhali of Cox's Bazar, Feni Sadar, Fulgazi and Daganbhuiyan of Feni, Khagrachhari Sadar, Matiranga, Mahalchhari of Khagrachhari, Raipur and Ramgati of Laxmipur, Companiganj of Noakhali, Rangamati Sadar, Barkal, Rajasthali, Kaptai, Baghaichhari and Jurachhari of Rangamati, Savar and Dhamrai of Dhaka, Faridpur Sadar, Charbhadrasan and Sadarpur of Faridpur, Kaliganj of Gazipur, Gopalganj Sadar, Kashiani of Gopalganj, Jamalpur Sadar, Dewanganj and Islampur of Jamalpur, Kishoreganj Sadar, Hossainpur, Karimganj, Tarail, and Pakundia of Kishoreganj, Madaripur Sadar, Rajoir and Kalkini of Madaripur, Manikganj Sadar, Singair and Daulatpur of Manikganj, Munshiganj Sadar, Tongibari and Lohaganj of Munshiganj, Mymensingh Sadar, Muktagachha, Phulbaria, Bhaluka, Trisal and Gafargaon of Mymensingh, Palash and Manohardi of Narsinghdi Sadar, Netrokona Sadar, Atpara and Mohanganj of Netrokona, Rajbari Sadar, Shariatpur Sadar, Zanjira and Naria of Shariatpur, Tangail Sadar, Mirzapur, Bhuapur, Ghatail, Basail, Delduar and Nagarpur of Tangail, Bagerhat Sadar, Mongla, Kochua and Rampal of Bagerhat, Chuadanga Sadar and Damurhuda of Chuadanga, Jessore Sadar, Sharsha, Abhaynagar and Keshabpur of Jessore, Jhenaidah Sadar and Kaliganj of Jhenaidah, Rupsa, Phultala and Paikgachha of Khulna, Kushtia Sadar and Kumarkhali of Kushtia, Meherpur Sadar, Mujibnagar of Meherpur, Narail Sadar and Kalia of Narail, Satkhira Sadar, Bogra Sadar, Dupchanchia, Shajahanpur, Kahaloo, Adamdighi, Sariakanda, Sonatala and Dhunat of Bogra, C'Nawabganj Sadar and Shibganj of C'Nawabganj, Parbatipur, Khansama and Phulbari of Dinajpur, Gaibandha Sadar and Gobindoganj of Gaibandha, Joypurhat Sadar, Akkelpur and Kalai of Joypurhat, Kurigram Sadar, Roumari and Rajibpur of Kurigram, Aditmari, Kaliganj and Patgram of Lalmonirhat, Naogaon Sadar, Raninagar, Atrai, Porhsa and Niamatpur of Naogaon, Lalpur of Natore, Nilphamari Sadar, Dimla and Jaldhaka of Nilphamari, Panchagarh Sadar, Atwari and Boda of Panchagarh, Puthia, Paba, Tanore, Charghat and Bagmara of Rajshahi, Rangpur Sadar, Gangachhara, Taraganj, Badarganj and Kaunia of Rangpur, Sirajganj Sadar, Kamarkhanda, Kazipur and Chauhali of Sirajganj, Thakurgaon Sadar, Habiganj Sadar, Bahubal and Lakhai of Habiganj, Maulavi Bazar Sadar and Lakhai of the district, Sunamganj Sadar, Tahirpur, Dakkhin Sunamganj, Chhatak, Jamalganj, Bishwambharpur and Derai of Sunamganj, Golapganj, Sylhet Sadar, Beanibazar and Zakiganj of Sylhet district.
The upazilas of which draft voter list have been published are -- Mehendiganj, Uzirpur and Bakerganj of Barisal, Lalmohan, Manpur, Burhanuddin, Char Fasson and Tazumuddin of Bhola, Kathalia of Jhalokathi, Nazirpur, Nesarabad and Zia Nagar of Pirojpur, Betagi of Barguna, Ali Kadam, Thanchi and Lama of Bandarban, Matlab South of Chandpur, Anwara, Hathazari, Boalkhali, Potiya and Mirsharai of Chittagong, Chauddagram, Laksam, Homna, Monoharganj, Titas and Nangolkot of Comilla, Teknaf, Ramu and Ukhia of Cox's Bazar, Parshuram and Chhagolnaiya of Feni, Panchhari, Manikchhari, Dighinala, Ramgarh and Laxmichhari of Khagrachhari, Kamolnagar, Ramganj and Sadar of Laxmipur, Noakhali Sadar, Begumganj, Hatiya, Subarnochar and Shonaimuri of Noakhali, Langodu, Naniarchar and Belaichhari of Rangamati, Bhanga and Nagarkanda of Faridpur, Kaliakoir, Kapasia and Gazipur Sadar of Gazipur, Tungipara of Gopalganj, Sharishabari of Jamalpur, Nikli, Kotaidi, Kuliarchar and Bhoirab of Kishoreganj, Ghior of Manikganj, Sreenagar of Munshiganj, Nandail and Phulpur of Mymensingh, Sonargaon of Narayanganj, Shibpur, Narsinghdi Sadar, Belabo of Narsinghdi, Madan. Kalmakanda, Durgapur and Kendua of Netrokona, Pangsha of Rajbari, Bhedorganj and Damudya of Shariatpur, Sherpur Sadar, Nakla and Nalitabari of Sherpur, Sakhipur of Tangail, Morelganj of Bagerhat, Jiban Nagar and Alamdanga of Chuadanga, Manirampur of Jessore, Kotchandpur and Harinakunda of Jhenaidah, Dumuria, Terokhada, Batiaghata, Dacope and Dighalia of Khulna, Daulatpur, Bheramara and Khoksa of Kustia, Gangni of Meherpur, Lohagara of Narail, Tala of Satkhira, Sherpur and Nandigram of Bogra, Gomastapur and Nachole of C'Nawabganj, Dinajpur Sadar, Birampur, Hakimpur, Biral, Nawabganj, Ghoraghat and Chirirbandar of Dinajpur, Phulchhari, Sughatta and Sundarganj of Gaibandha, Panchabibi and Khetlal of Joypurhat, Chilmari, Ulipur and Rajarhat of Kurgram, Lalmonirhat Sadar and Hatibandha of Lalmonirhat, Sapahar, Manda, Dhamoirhat and Badalgachhi of Naogaon, Singra and Bagatipara of Natore, Domar of Nilphamari, Pabna Sadar, Ishwardi, Atgharia, Chatmohor, Bera and Sujanagar of Pabna, Debiganj and Tentulia of Panchagarh, Mohanpur and Durgapur of Rajshai, Mithapukur and Pirganj of Rangpur, Belkuchi and Tarsh of Sirajganj, Haripur, Ranisankail and Priganj of Thakurgaon, Nabiganj, Chunarughat, Madhabpur of Habiganj, Juri and Baralekha of Maulavibazar, Jaganathpur, Jaintpur, Companiganj, South Surma, Fenchuganj and Bishwanath of Sylhet district.