The sixth and final phase of Union Parishad elections will be held on January 31, the Election Commission announced yesterday.

A total of 219 union parishads across the country will go to polls that day.

All the elections will be held using electronic voting machine, Election Commission's Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandaker said while announcing the election schedule after an Election Commission meeting at its office in the capital.

According to the schedule, candidates for the posts of chairman, member and reserved seats for women will be able to submit their nominations to the returning officers until January 3.

The evaluation of nomination papers will be held on January 6 and the last date for withdrawal of candidacy is January 13.

EC Secretary Humayun said there were 4,578 UPs in Bangladesh. In the first three phases they held elections to 2,226 UPs. At least 1,547 UPs are going to polls in the fourth and fifth phases.

"The five-year tenure of another 325 UPs has ended. Of them, we are announcing the election schedule for 219 UPs. Elections to the rest UPs will take place later," he said.

A total of 707 union parishads will go to polls on January 5 in the fifth phase. Elections to 840 union parishads will be held on December 26 in the fourth phase. Some 1,000 UPs went to the third phase election on November 28.

A total of 833 union parishads went to the polls in the second phase on November 11.

In the first phase, elections were held in 204 UPs on June 21 and 160 UPs on September 20.

Meanwhile, the EC has decided in principle to add the word Bir Muktijhoddha on the NID cards of freedom fighters.