A total of 97 upazilas in 40 districts are going to polls on Wednesday in the first of the staggered local body elections. The voting will open at 8am and continue till 4pm without any break. The Election Commission has completed all the necessary preparations for the voting in the upazila parishads, Election Commissioner Md Shah Nawaz told UNB on Tuesday evening. “The law enforcement agencies have been asked to take special security measures for the members of the minority community so that they can cast their votes without any fear,” he said. Shah Nawaz hoped Wednesday’s election will be free, fair and peaceful. A total of 1259 candidates are contesting the election against 291 posts in the 97 upazilas. Of them, 429 are chairman candidates and 505 vice chairman contenders, and 325 vice chairman candidates for the post set aside for women. There are 1,62,15,437 voters — 80,81,384 males and 81,54,053 females — who can exercise their franchise in 42756 booths of 6889 polling stations in the 97 upazilas. Alongside regular law enforcers, army personnel are working as a striking force to maintain an election-friendly environment in the areas. Each upazila has got a platoon of army members (34 members), EC secretariat sources said. As part of special security measures for the minority community, the Election Commission relieved some 590 election officials on the basis of reports of intelligent agencies, according to the EC secretariat sources. A team of 14-16 security men will guard each polling station. Though only four foreign observers watched the January 5 parliamentary elections, 71 foreign observers registered their names to observe the first phase upazila elections, said an official concerned at the EC secretariat. Of them, 54 are from the US embassy, nine from Japan, six from NDI, and two from the Asia Foundation. Besides, 6589 observers of 26 organisations will monitor the voting, she added. As many as 388 magistrates — 291 executive magistrates and 97 judicial magistrates – will lead mobile courts in the election areas with a view to curbing any possible violence and violation of polls codes.
Over 1,25,000 election officials — 6995 presiding officers, 43290 assistant presiding officers and 86580 polling officials — will be on the election duty. On January 19, the EC announced election schedules for 102 upazilas and subsequently postponed polls of Pirganj in Rangpur to February 24, while suspended elections in four upazilas — Rangpur Sadar, Gangachhara, Pirgachha, and Kawnia in Rangpur — due to delimitation complexities. Besides, the EC in the first four phases declared polls schedules for 380 upazilas out of the country’s 387 upazilas. The second phase polls in 117 upazilas will be held on February 27, while the 3rd phase polls in 83 upazilas on March 15 and the 4th phase polls in 92 upazilas on March 23. The EC has a plan to announce the fifth phase election schedules for nearly 80-90 more upazila parishads this week, and the elections are likely to be held there at the end of March. As part of the countrywide 4th upazila election, the commission will also arrange elections in a few more upazilas after the HSC examination scheduled to be held in April and May next. The last countrywide upazila elections were held on January 22, 2009. The upazila parishad system was introduced in 1982 and the first upazila elections were held in 1985, while the second polls in 1990. But the then BNP government after assuming power in 1991 annulled the upazila parishad system. The Awami League government restored the system in 1996, but the third upazila elections were held in 2009 after 19 years of its reintroduction.
Apprehending manipulation in the first phase of upazila elections, BNP threatened on Tuesday that the 19-party supporters will give a befitting reply if the government resorts to any irregularity to change the election results.
“The 19-party alliance is ready to take up any harsh programme in case of irregularities in the elections,” said BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. The BNP leader issued the threat at a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.
Mentioning that their party is taking part in the polls as part of their movement strategy, he said they will take immediate steps to face any conspiracy.
He alleged that the ruling party cadres with the help of the law enforcers are trying to take the election results in their favour by repressing, killing and arresting opposition leaders and activists.
Rizvi accused the ruling party men of intimidating opposition leaders and activists for not going to polling stations to ensure their candidates’ wins in the elections.
He also narrated some attacks and incidents by the ruling party men on the BNP leaders and activists at different parts of the country to create panic among the voters.
An information desk will be set up at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on the election days to collect information about the upazila polls, he added.
Earlier in the day, a three-member BNP delegation, led by Rizvi, submitted a letter to the Election Commission alleging that the houses of BNP-backed candidates are being attacked and looted across the country, and their family members and even women and children are not spared in many places.
Talking to reporters at the EC secretariat, he said many candidates and incumbent chairmen are on the run to escape arrests as an arrest spree is going on in the election areas, but the Election Commission is silent and inactive about taking any remedial measure.
“If the commission thinks it’s independent in any way, it’s its duty to arrange this local government body election freely and neutrally,” he added. – UNB
