Staff Reporter:
The Election Commission (EC) has completed all necessary preparations to hold the elections in Khulna and Barishal City Corporation today.
Distribution of all electoral materials from the city’s Divisional Mohila Krira Complex will start from 11 am today.
Returning Officer in Khulna Md Alauddin said voting at all centres in the KCC election will be held using electronic voting machines (EVM).
He said five candidates for mayoral post, 136 for general councillors for 31 wards and 39 for reserved seats will compete in the election.
Two councilors for wards 13 and 24 have been elected unopposed, he said, adding that voting will start at 8 am and will continue till 4pm, without any break.
Khandaker Yasir Arefin, deputy commissioner of Khulna, said 11 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed to ensure security in the KCC election and they have been patrolling since this morning.
Each platoon comprising 20 members of the BGB will assist 11 executive magistrates in conducting mo-bile court, the DC said.
Campaigning for the election started on May 26 with the allocation of election symbols and stopped on Saturday midnight as per order of the EC.
The whole city has been wearing a festive look during the electioneering.
Meanwhile, a total of 5,35,528 people are supposed to exercise their franchise in the 31 wards of Khulna city and there are 1,732 polling booths under 289 polling stations.
According to Election Commission, 126 presiding officers will perform their duties at 894 polling booths while the number of assistant presiding officers is 894 and polling officers is 1788.
Returning officer Humayun Kabir said the election environment is cent percent fair. He urged voters to go to their respective polling stations to cast their vote.
About 4500 members of law enforcement agencies, 10 platoons of BGB, 30 executive magistrates, and 10 judicial magistrates will perform duty during the polls.
Seven candidates are vying for the mayoral post while 119 councilors for general post and 42 for re-served posts in the polls.
A total of 2,76,298 voters—1,37,489 male and 1,38, 809 female—will exercise their franchise.
Awami League mayoral candidate Abul Khair Abdullah (Khokon Seniabat) will cast vote at Government Barisal College center on Kalibari Road, Jatiya Party’s candidate Iqbal Hossain Taposh will cast vote at Syed Abdul Mannan DDF Alim Madrasa centre on Gorsthan Road, Islami Andilon’s Mufti Syed Mu-hammad Faizul Karim at A Rob Serniabat Secondary School center in the city.
