Election commissioner Md Shah Nawaz on Wednesday said stern action will be taken if any candidate hurts religious sentiments of others during upazila election campaign. “No candidate is allowed to hurt religious sentiments of others,” he told reporters at his office. He said the commission has directed the returning officers to take stern actions against violation of polls code in the upazila elections starting on February 19. The commissioner said the EC is yet to get any such complaint. He said magistrates have been deployed in each upazila to check violation of the code. Law enforcers have been asked to ensure fair and peaceful voting. Voting in 98 upazila parishads will be held on February 19 in the first phase and in the second phase 117 upazilas will go to polls on February 27. Polls in 480 upazilas out of the country’s 487 upazila parishads will be held in six phases by June next. – UNB
