Staff Reporter:
The first phase of the sixth upazila parishad elections in 139 upazilas will be held today.
Voting will begin from 8 am and to continue till 4 pm.
A total of 1,635 candidates are competing in this phase. Among them, 570 are vying for the post of chairman, 625 for vice chairman and 440 for the post of female vice chairman.
Candidates for all the posts in- Hatia, Munshiganj Sadar, Bagerhat Sadar, Parshuram and Shibchar upazillas have won unopposed, and so, polling is not needed in these areas. Apart from this, the EC has suspended voting in three upazilas in the hill district of Bandarban.
Seventeen law enforcement personnel will be deployed in each general center while 18-19 personnel in the important center to maintain the environment during polling. Apart from this, 19 law enforcement officers will be deployed in general centers and 20/21 law enforcement personnel in important centers in special areas (hilly or remote areas), as per the decision of the Election Commission (EC).
Depending on the number of voters and the importance of the polling stations, 2 to 4 platoons of BGB will perform duty in each upazila. The Coast Guard will act as a mobile and striking force in the islands of the coastal area.
A ban has been imposed on the movement of taxicabs, micro-buses, pickups, trucks, launches, engine-driven boats (except those plying on specific routes) in the respective constituencies from 12:00 pm yes-terday to till 12:00 pm today (Wednesday).
The existing ban on motorcycle movement will remain in force till Thursday midnight.
The public Security department of the ministry of home affairs has issued instructions to the license holders not to travel with weapons or to carry and display them seven days before the polling and seven days after the polling.
In the first phase, 3 crore 14 lakh 68 thousand 102 voters will exercise their voting rights in 81,804 poll-ing booths of 11,556 centers.
