All union councils in an Upazila to vote together in phased polls: EC

All union councils within the same Upazila will vote on the same day, even though the elections will be held in several phases.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Election Commission Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said the commission had yet to decide whether the polls would be held in five phases or six.

“But I can say the elections will be organised Upazila-wise. All unions under one Upazila will vote at the same time,” he said.

Akhtar said splitting the unions of a single Upazila across different phases could create confusion.

“So all unions in one Upazila will go to the polls together, while the overall election will be held in several phases,” he said.

The commission will decide when to announce the election schedule, he added.

Earlier in the day, Akhtar held a meeting at the EC headquarters in Agargaon on accreditation cards for journalists and observers covering local government elections.

He also said posters would not be allowed in the polls and that several other changes had been made to the election rules.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin has already said the EC plans to announce the schedule in September and begin local government elections with union council polls in November.

Elections to city corporations, Upazila councils, municipalities and district councils are expected to follow.

Akhtar also said the schedule for the Thakurgaon-1 by-election would be announced this week.

The parliamentary seat fell vacant on Aug 21 when Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir assumed office as president.