Polling in 596 UPs begins Mar 29

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Polling in 596 union parishads (UP), the lowest rung of the local government body, begins March 29 covering the coastal belts of the country, reports UNB. Announcing the election schedule Thursday, Chief Election Commi­ssioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda said polling in 596 union parishads would be held from March 29 to April 3 in the first phase. The last date for submission of nomination papers to the Returning Officer is March 5, scrutiny will be held on March 6-7, and time for withdrawal of candidature is March 13-18. The polling date of respective UPs would be fixed by the Returning Officer concerned. Dr Huda said the UP election will be held on non-party basis. No candidate with political party identity would be allowed to contest the UP polls as per the existing law. Election Commissioners M Sohul Hussain and Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain and Secretary Dr M Sadik were present while the schedule was announced at the EC office in the afternoon. Of the total 4300 Ups, polling in the first phase will be held in 596 under 72 upazilas of 12 coastal districts of Chittagong, Khulna and Barisal divisions. Dr Huda said the Election Commission wants to stop political nomination and intervention during the UP selection. Dr Huda said all chairman candidates will have to open new bank accounts and they will have to submit the bank names and address and number with their nomination papers. There is no rule of opening bank accounts for the member candidates, he said. About the security money, the CEC said the chairman will have to submit Tk 5000 with bank chalan, pay order or in cash to the returning officers concerned while the member candidates will have to submit Tk 1000 as security money. About the election expenditure, Dr Huda said the chairman candidates can expend Tk five lacs maximum as election expenditures while the members each can spend one lac taka maximum. He also said that no person holding the post of minister, state minister and deputy minister should not visit and move around the election areas to keep the poll out of influence. "Every body should abide by the election code of conducts in pre, during and post election situation," he said, adding that all sorts of rallies, processions and showdowns are totally prohibited in the election. "The candidates are encouraged to visit door to door as election campaign," the CEC said. Replying to a question, Dr Huda said the second round election schedule for the UP poll will be announced third week of May or early June this year. The first phase UP elections will be held in 596 unions of 72 upazilas under the districts of Barisal, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Borguna, Bhola, Jhalkathi, Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Cox's bazar, Laxmipur and Noakhali.