EC not to interfere in joint forces’ drive

UNB, Dhaka :
The Election Commission will not interfere in the ongoing joint forces’ drive against violence at different parts of the country unless it does not hamper the works of the countrywide staggered upazila polls, beginning on February 19.
“If the joint forces’ operation doesn’t impede our electoral works, we won’t make any comment in this regard,” Election Commissioner Md Shah Nawaz told reporters at his EC Secretariat office on Sunday.
But, he said, the commission will ask the government to suspend the joint forces’ drive if it hampers the polls tasks.
The EC has all the necessary preparations to arrange the upazila elections in a peaceful manner curbing violence, Shah Nawaz noted.
About army deployment, Shah Nawaz said the commission is yet to decide about the duration of army deployment in the 4th countrywide upazila elections that will be held in six phases and completed by June next.
Meanwhile, 1732 aspirants for the posts of chairman, vice chairman and the post of vice chairman exclusively for women filed nomination papers in 98 upazila parishads before the deadline that expired on Saturday, EC sources said.
Of them, 692 submitted nomination papers to run the polls for chairman post, while 660 for vice chairman post and 380 for reserved vice chairman post.
On January 19, the EC announced the first phase of election schedule for 102 upazilas fixing the balloting date for February 19.
Later, polls in four upazilas among the 102 were suspended following a request of the Local Government Ministry as there are delimitation complexities in the upazilas following the formation of Rangpur City Corporation.
The four upazilas are Gangachhara, Kawnia, Peergachha and Rangpur sadar in Rangpur district.
Besides, the commission on January 23 declared polls schedule for more 117 upazilas fixing the voting for February 27 in the second phase. There are 487 upazila parishads in the country. Of them, the commission will arrange polls in nearly 480 upazilas before June next.