Elections to four city corporations and nine municipalities will be held today (Monday) with the voters exercising their voting right through photo identity (ID) cards for the first time in Bangladesh, amid tight security measures under the prevailing state of emergency.
Today's elections are considered as significant events not for the nation alone but also for the international arena as the Election Commission (EC) along with necessary support from the interim government is holding the polls as a 'test case' after the preparations of voters' roll with photographs and national ID cards by the Bangladesh Army.
The four city corporations that are going to hold voting today are Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet.
Nine municipalities are: Manikganj, Dupchachia in Bogra, Naohata in Rajshahi, Chuadanga, Sreepur in Gazipur, Fulbaria in Mymensingh, Shariatpur, Golapganj in Sylhet and Sitakunda in Chittagong.
A total of 46 mayoral candidates along with 194 reserved councillors and 752 ordinary councillors are in the race in four city corporations against the four city mayors, 39 reserved and 118 ordinary councillor seats.
A total of 59 mayoral candidates along with 120 reserved councillors and 429 general councillors are contesting in the nine pourashava elections.
The EC in support with the administration and law-enforcing agencies have already taken all the necessary preparations for holding the elections in a free, fair and credible manner, the commission sources said.
Three-stage security measures have been taken up by the administration to ensure law and order during the election and the post-election periods, they mentioned.
Against this backdrop, sufficient number of members of law-enforcing agencies has already been deployed in the election areas while the EC has already sent necessary election materials, including ballots, ballot boxes and stamps etc., in all the respective polling centres.
According to the EC, the votes starts at 8.0am and continue until 4.0pm in 579 polling centres in the four city corporations and a total of 136 centres in the nine municipalities.
To facilitate the elections, the government has declared public holiday in the polling areas. Besides, all the scheduled banks and offices of the Bangladesh Bank will also remain closed today, a central bank circular said Sunday.
On June 20, 2008, the Election Commission announced the schedule for holding the elections to these city corporations and Municipalities.
Agencies add: Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda Sunday said the state of emergency would ensure security in holding the City Corporation and municipal elections today (Monday).
"There was no problem for election campaigning under the state of emergency. Rather, emergency will ensure the security on the Election Day," he told reporters in reply to a query at the Election Commission Secretariat in the afternoon.
Asked how he views Monday's election to four city corporations and nine municipalities under the state of emergency, the CEC said the electioneering was seen having gone well in the election areas under the emergency. "Now it's the matter of casting vote."
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has already identified possible risky polling centres.
A 30 member-team of law enforcers would remain in each centre to maintain the law and order. "The list of the risky polling centres are already with RAB (Rapid Action Battalion)."
Elections to 4 city corpns, nine municipalities today
FE Report | Published: August 04, 2008 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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