Dhaka-Some 698 Union Parishads (UPs) across the country are going to polls on Saturday in the 6th and final phase of election to the lowest tier of the local government.
The voting will be held from 8am to 4pm without any break.Like the previous five phases, no balloting is required against 27 chairman posts where ruling Awami League candidates have already been elected uncontested in this phase.
Earlier, some 190 AL chairman contenders were elected unopposed in the first five phases of the violence-marred elections beginning in March last.
Some 3,200 candidates are vying for chairman posts, while some 30,000 others for member posts and reserved seats of the UPs.
In the wake of election violence that killed over 100 people, the EC has taken few measures to prevent violence in the final phase election.
The EC on Friday, a day before the balloting, sent a letter to the Home Ministry asking the law enforcement agencies to take the highest cautionary measures to prevent violence and irregularities in the 6th phase polls.
In the letter, the EC said five phases of the UP polls have already been completed. The voting of the sixth and final phase is scheduled for June 4. Violence and clashes also occurred and some people were killed at different places in the balloting of the 5th phase, which is not expected.
“In this context, the EC has issued directives that law enforcement agencies will take highest cautionary measures to arrange the final phase of the election in a fair and free manner,” the letter reads.
Besides, the EC ordered the withdrawal of an assistant superintendent of police in Tangail and the officer-in-charge of Shailakupa Police Station of Jhenidah.
The Election Commission (EC) has completed all necessary preparations to arrange the polls in a free and fair manner, said Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz.
More than 1.10 crore people are expected to exercise their rights in the 6th phase election.
Five magistrates-four executive magistrates and a judiciary magistrate-remain deployed to take action against election irregularities for four days from Thursday in each upazilas.
Alongside the magistrates, additional number of Police, Rab, BGB, APBn, Ansar and Coastguard members will remain deployed during the four days in the election areas to maintain electoral environment.
On 28 April, the EC announced the election schedule for the 6th phase of the UP election.
A man was killed and two people were injured in a pre-election violence between the supporters of a member candidate and a chairman aspirant at Boirag union in Anwara upazila on Friday.
The deceased was identified as Faruque Hossain, 32, of Amanullahpara village.
Officer-in-charge of Anwara Police Station Abdul Latif said the clash ensued following an altercation between the followers of member candidate Musa Talukder and Awami League rebel chairman candidate Solaiman at Amanullahpara around 4:45pm.
At one stage, both groups, equipped with homemade weapons, attacked each other, leaving three people, including Faruque, injured.
They were taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where doctors declared Faruque dead around 7:30pm, said sub-inspector Jahirul Islam of the CMCH police camp.
