Voting kicks off for fifth phase of union council polls

Voters in 717 unions are exercising their franchise on Saturday in the fifth leg of the six-phase Union Parishad (UP) elections.

Violence, alleged rigging and other irregularities have marred polling in the last four phases and many fear these may recur during the last two phases.

Campaigning ended on Thursday midnight and election officers finished sending voting materials to polling centres on Friday.

Voting started at 8am and will end on 4pm without any break on Saturday, a public holiday in the polling areas.

Around 30,000 candidates are vying for over 3,000 posts of union council chairmen and general and reserved members.

More than 80 people died in the last three and a half months, both before and after the votes in four legs, since the announcement of the election schedule.

Despite that, the Election Commission (EC) has expressed hope that polling in the fifth phase will be ‘comparatively better’, saying that all necessary measures for that had been taken.

But the election observers said they fear Saturday’s vote would not be free and fair. It will be long before the general people come out of the negative impact this staggered election has made so far.

People concerned have blamed the rebels, who are running as independent candidates, for most of the violence during this election, being held for the first time along political party lines, as they are desperate to win after failing to secure party nominations.

They said the parties would have to take responsibility for failing to keep their leaders and activists under control.

Fifth phase at a glance

>> Polls are being held in 717 unions of 93 Upazilas in 45 districts

>> More than 11 million people is expected to cast their votes at 6,484 polling centres

>> 3,254 candidates are vying for the post of chairman, over 27,000 for general member and over 7,000 for reserved seat member

>> 41 chairman candidates of Awami League have already been elected uncontested

>> Chairman and all general and reserved seat members have been elected uncontested in Joylashkar Union at Feni’s Dagonbhuiyan Upazila

>> More than 100,000 polling officials and around 150,000 members of different law enforcing agencies have been deputed at the polling areas

National Election Observer Council Chairman Prof Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah told bdnews24.com, “The do or die mentality of those with no party nomination is mostly causing the violence. They fear the likely consequences of their defeat.

“If the EC wants to hold a better voting than the last four phases, they will have to join the action in the field during the polls.”

“Casualties can also be avoided if the law enforcers play their roles properly. The political parties will have to assist,” he said.

Political analyst Mizanur Rahman Shelly said it is the EC who will have to prove that free and fair elections are possible. “The EC will have to ensure adequate measures to gain the people’s trust.”

The ruling Awami League (AL) and the BNP, between which the major competition is taking place, have accused each other of ‘conspiring to win’.

The BNP said they do not see a free and fair polls taking place while a ‘vote robbery’ is going on, while the AL claimed their arch-rival was only trying to make the election ‘controversial’.​​

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad has said the commission is alert to prevent any violence from occurring during the vote.

Urging the candidates and their supporters to be patient and refrain from violence, he said, “I hope voting in the next two phases will be held without any irregularities.”

According to the EC, voter turnout has been 74 percent, 78 percent, 76 percent and 77 percent, respectively, in the first four phases.

In those legs, the Awami League secured as many as 1,836 chairman posts, independent runners 526 while the BNP managed only 243.​