Last phase of UZ polls on June 18
Staff Reporter, Dhaka
The Election Commission (EC) yesterday announced that elections to 16 upazila parishads (UZ) of 14 districts in the fifth and last phase of upazila polls would be held on June 18. The deadline for submission of nomination papers is May 21 and the date for scrutiny is May 23. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is May 30.
Allocation of symbols will begin on May 31 and, on the same day, candidates would be able to start the campaign. The poll schedule was signed by deputy secretary of the Election Commission, Mahfuja Akhter. The commission also decided to dispatch two assistant returning officers to Sadar upazilas.
The upazilas are Nakla of Sherpur, Naldanga of Natore, Kamarkhanda of Sirajganj, Sundarganj of Sirajganj, Rangabali of Patuakhali, Taltoli of Barguna, Gazipur Sadar, Narayanganj port upazila, Madaripur Sadar, Kalukhali of Rajbari, Shayestaganj of Habiganj, Banchcharampur and Bijoypur upazila of Brahmanbaria, Comilla Sadar and Noakhali Sadar Upazila.
For the first time, the fifth upazila parishad elections are being held under party banner.
The main contest is between Awami League-nominated candidates and rebels, as the major political parties, including the BNP, are boycotting the polls.
In the previous phases of the elections, AL men bagged majority of the chairman posts.
The first phase was held on March 10, the second on March 18, the third on March 24 and the fourth phase on March 31.
