EC sets 7-phase UP polls
The Election Commission has decided to hold elections to 4,580 union parishads across the country in seven phases, with the first phase scheduled likely for November 12.
The decision was taken at a preparatory meeting of the commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, on Monday.
Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah disclosed the proposed dates while briefing journalists at the Nirbachan Bhaban in Dhaka after the meeting.
“We have held a preparatory meeting on the local government union parishad elections. Initially, we have decided to hold the elections in seven phases,” he said.
According to the preliminary plan, the second phase will be held on December 13, the third on December 30, the fourth on January 17 next year, the fifth on February 4, the sixth on April 22 and the seventh and final phase on May 27.
The first phase will cover union parishads in 80 upazilas, Sanaullah said. The commission will officially announce the election schedule after finalising the timing of the polls.
The proposed dates are part of its initial planning and do not constitute the formal election notification.
The commission plans to hold elections to all union parishads within an upazila on the same day.
EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed outlined this approach on September 7 when the commission published separate codes of conduct for the upcoming local government elections.
The codes cover elections to union parishads, municipalities, city corporations, upazila parishads and district parishads. Although issued separately, the provisions are largely identical.
The upcoming local government elections will be held on a non-party basis. The EC has formulated the codes accordingly as it prepares for the polls.
Under the new rules, candidates will not be allowed to use posters, organise public rallies or hold processions during campaigns.
Banners, festoons, leaflets and billboards will be permitted within specified size limits.
Digital and social media campaigning will be allowed, but candidates will be barred from using artificial intelligence to spread misinformation, defame individuals or circulate false or hateful content.
Candidates must submit their online campaign account IDs and email addresses to the returning officer before starting digital campaigning.
Campaigning will not be allowed before election symbols are allocated. Door-to-door canvassing, street-corner meetings and small indoor meetings will be permitted.
Candidates and their supporters will also be prohibited from collecting voters’ or their family members’ National Identity Card numbers to influence voting decisions.
Collecting mobile phone numbers for mobile financial service transactions will also be prohibited.
Violations of the codes may result in imprisonment, fines or both. In serious cases, the commission will have the power to cancel a candidate’s candidature.
Sanaullah said the commission would hold detailed discussions with all registered political parties to ensure the local government elections are free and inclusive.
The discussions are expected to take place during the third stage of the commission’s planned activities.
The EC is also preparing for elections to 61 district parishads, 495 upazila parishads, 330 municipalities and 13 city corporations across the country.
As the local government elections are going to take place, all the registered political parties can field their candidate except banned Awami League as its activities are not allowed.
On Friday, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam said the Awami League cannot participate in any election as a political party until the ban imposed on it is lifted, He said the Awami League is currently a banned organisation and has no legal scope to hold meetings, rallies or other political programmes, or to operate party offices.
“If the party attempts to hold meetings, rallies or organisational activities in violation of the law, law enforcement agencies will take necessary action,” he told journalists after releasing fish fingerlings into a pond at the Shibganj Upazila Parishad complex in Bogura.
Regarding the upcoming local government elections, the state minister said the country’s democratic institutions and electoral system had suffered extensive damage during the previous autocratic regime of Awami League.
He said a key objective of the current government was to hold five local government elections in a free, fair and impartial manner.
Mir Shahe Alam further said the amended law contains no provision for party nominations or the use of national party symbols in the upcoming local government elections. Candidates will contest using general symbols, he said.
He explained that the BNP had taken a policy decision to support a single candidate in each union to maintain organisational discipline and the chain of command at the grassroots level.
If multiple candidates emerge within a union, efforts will be made to select one through local consensus, he said.
Failure to reach a consensus could lead to organisational action against those who breach party discipline.
