The Election Commission is going to deploy some 300 magistrates to deal with the cases of any possible violence during the first-phase of countrywide upazila elections billed for February 19.
Three magistrates, including a judicial one, will conduct drives against violation of the election code of conduct and polls violence in each upazila.
Of the three, an executive magistrate will be deployed next week in each of the nearly 100 upazilas that are going to the first-phase of vote, an EC official told UNB preferring anonymity.
Another executive magistrate and one judiciary magistrates will be deployed for four days two days before the vote, she added.
On Sunday, the CEC declared the polls schedule for 102 upazila parishads in the first phase.
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad is likely to announce the schedule for the second phase of the upazila elections on Thursday after its meeting with top brasses of law enforcing agencies, which will be held at 11 am in the commission secretariat.
As per the proposed schedule for the 2nd phase election, the voting will be held on February 27, while the deadline for submission of nomination papers is February 2, the scrutiny of the papers is on February 4 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is February 11, the EC sources said.
The EC has a plan to arrange the 4th countrywide upazila elections in six phases.
According to the plan, the second phase upazila elections will be held on February 27, while the third phase on March 15, the fourth phase on March 25, the fifth phase on March 31 and the sixth phase on May 3 this year.
Election in 117 upazilas will be held in the second phase, while 74 in the third phase, 72 in the fourth phase, 65 in the fifth phase and some 50 in the sixth phase.
Out of the country’s 487 upazilas, the commission will hold elections in some 480 upazilas that are going to complete their five-year tenures between February 19 and July 31.
The commission has legal obligations to complete elections in the upazilas within 180 days before the expiry of their tenures.
The tenures of 113 upazilas will end in February, while that of 221 other upazilas in March, 37 upazilas in April, 86 upazilas in May, 18 upazilas in June and five upazilas by September next.-UNB
