The Crime Desk: Voting is going on in 60 upazilas of the country in the fourth phase of the sixth upazila parishad election. Voting will continue continuously from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday (June 5). In this phase, voting is being done by electronic voting machines in six upazilas of four districts and by ballot paper in 54 upazilas.
Earlier on Tuesday, the poll workers reached the center with tight security from the returning officer’s office with ballot boxes and election equipment. Ballot papers reached 4 thousand 947 centers early today. However, due to remote areas, ballot papers were delivered to 197 centers yesterday.
A total of 721 candidates are contesting for the posts of chairman, vice chairman, and female vice chairman in this election. So far, one chairman, three vice-chairmen, and one reserved woman vice-chairman have won unopposed.
According to the schedule, polling was to be held in 55 upazilas in the fourth phase. But five upazilas suspended in the previous stages have also been added to this stage. In two upazilas of Sirajganj, voting will be done by EVM; in all other upazilas, voting will be done by ballot. On the occasion of the polls, the Ministry of Public Administration has issued a notification declaring a general holiday in the respective upazilas.
Meanwhile, EC Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath said extensive security measures have been taken around the fourth phase of the upazila elections. He said that 175 platoons of BGB have been deployed in the concerned 60 upazilas for the purpose of free, fair, and peaceful polling.
BGB will work as a mobile and striking force to maintain peace and order in the constituency from June 3 to June 7 under In Aid to Civil Power to support the local civil administration.
Besides, a total of 41 thousand 379 policemen, 154 RAB teams, and 66 thousand 679 Ansar members are involved in the security system. One judicial magistrate in each upazila has already started working in the field.
