Voter turnout 15-20% in 4hrs of upazila polls: EC

Voting is underway in the first phase of the country’s sixth Upazila Parishad Election in 139 upazilas across the country. 

The balloting began at 8:00am and will continue till 4:00pm on Wednesday (May 8) without any break.

While talking to reporters at a press conference at the Election Secretariat in the capital’s Agargaon area around 1 pm on Wednesday (May 8), Election Commission (EC) Secretary Jahangir Alam said, “On an average, 15-20 percent of votes have been cast in first four hours of the upazila elections as of 12 pm.”

“Voter turnout is relatively low at some polling centers due to inclement weather,” he cited.

However, the EC secretary said voting is being held in a fair and peaceful manner so far.

The Election Commission has taken all-out measurers so that voters can exercise their right of franchise freely.

According to EC sources, a total of 1,635 candidates are contesting in this phase and among them 570 are vying for the post of chairman, 625 for vice-chairman and 440 for the post of female vice-chairman.

A security team of 17-19 members were engaged to guard each polling station in the plain districts, while a security team of 19-21 members engaged to protect a polling station in the Chittagong hill tracts and very remote areas. The balloting is being held in some 10,400 polling stations.

On March 21, the Election Commission announced the election schedule for 152 upazila parishads in the first phase.

But all the candidates in five upazilas – Hatia in Noakhali, Munshiganj Sadar, Bagerhat Sadar, Parshuram in Feni and Shibchar in Madaripur– have already been elected uncontested, finding no rival contestant for their respective posts.

Besides, the elections to eight other upazilas were postponed on different grounds. The eight upazilas are Narayanganj Sadar, Kumarkhali in Kushtia, Thanchi and Rowangchhari in Bandarban, Gopalpur in Tangail, Mohadevpur in Naogaon, Nangalkot in Cumilla and Sarishabari in Jamalpur.

This time, the Election Commission is arranging the sixth Upazila Parishad election in four phases. 

The commission declared the election schedule to hold polls in some 480 upazilas out of the country’s 495 Upazilas. 

The second phase election will be held in some 160 upazilas on May 21, while the third phase in 110 Upazilas on May 29 and fourth phase polls more than 50 upazilas on June 5.