EC postpones elections in 3 Bandarban upazilas

The Election Commission is set to increase the number of law enforcers to maintain law and order during the upcoming upazila polls.

The EC has also postponed the local government polls in  Thanchi, Ruma and Rowangchhari upazilas of Bandarban due to the ongoing military operation by joint forces against the armed hill group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF).

The commission made these decisions after meeting top officials from various ministries including home, cabinet divisions and chiefs of all law enforcement agencies. This meeting was held in preparation for the upcoming four-phase upazila polls scheduled between May 8 and June 5.

The polls in the three upazilas will take place later in a more favourable environment, EC Secretary Jahangir Alam told reporters.

Besides, security deployment during upazila polls will be more this year compared to the previous ones, he added.

EC officials said a representative of law enforcement agency pointed out that there are chances of deteriorating law and order situation at some places where more than one Awami League men are contesting. The official also feared the same for the upazilas where BNP men are contesting.

However, Jahangir said there is no possibility of any untoward incident anywhere as per intelligence report.

The EC aims to assign a minimum of 17 police and Ansar members at regular polling centers and 18 to 19 at risky ones.

In the last election, the numbers were 15 and 16-17 respectively.

The EC secretary said BGB will also be deployed to ensure a free and fair election.

In the first phase of elections across 150 upazilas, there are a total of 1,588 candidates competing, with 554 contesting for chairman posts, 605 for vice chairman positions, and 429 for women's reserved vice chairman positions.

The upazila elections will take place in four phases.

The second phase will see 161 upazilas voting on May 21, the third phase with 112 upazilas on May 29, and the fourth phase with 55 upazilas on June 5.