bdnews24.com
The Election Commission (EC) is planning to hold elections to upazila
councils before next national polls.
Election Commissioner Mohammad Shahnewaz said on Thursday the voting
in the upazila councils would be held in August next year.
The national elections are supposed to be held by early 2014.
Shahnewaz told reporters at the EC Secretariat that they were working
on to amend electoral rules tied to Upazila councils.
The Election Commission held polls to the posts of Chairmen and
Vice-Chairmen for 481 upazila councils on Jan 22, 2009.
The next parliamentary elections will be held between Oct 25, 2013 and
Jan 24, 2014 in accordance with the 15th amendment to the
Constitution.
“We’ve plans to hold the upazila council polls in August 2013. The
Upazila Parishad (Council) Act 2009 has already been sent to the
Ministry of Law for amendment. The preliminary preparation for the
polls will start after the rules are okayed,” Shahnewaz said.
Section 10 of the Upazila Parishad (Council) Act 2009 says that the
elections to the upazila councils should be held 180 days before the
expiry of the councils.
“So, a plan is there to hold the election before the beginning of the
180 days so that it doesn’t hamper the national election,” he said.
The Election Commissioner also said that the Commission was planning
elections for Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and Barisal city corporations
in May next year, while the tentative schedule for holding the polls
to the bifurcated Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) remained undecided.
The elections to the four city corporations were held in August 2008.
“The proceedings to hold the upazila council election will start after
the end of the voting to the four city metropolises,” he added.
