The Election Commission (EC) reaffirmed that it was moving ahead with October 23 as a tentative date for holding upazila elections before the stalled general election that the politicians wanted first, reports UNB.
But, the EC failed to make clear the schedule-announcing date and the number of upazilas going to the polls at the first go.
"October 23 is a possible date for holding the upazila polls-it's a preliminary discussion. It cannot be said for sure," EC Secretary M Humayun Kabir told journalists at his office Tuesday afternoon.
He said the number of upazilas going to the election fully depends on preparation of the final voter list, and that's why the commission could not finalise the number of the upazilas.
Asked whether the upazila polls would be held in two phases, as some newspaper reports go, the EC secretary said the commission did not finalise whether the polls would be staggered or not. "It will be immature to say about it," he said.
About Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) election, M Humayun Kabir said the EC has a plan to hold the DCC election after finalising the voter list. "The date of the DCC election is also yet to be finalised."
Replying to a question, he said upazila elections would be nonparty but the leaders of political parties could participate in the election campaign due to the High Court verdict.
Meanwhile, bdnews24.com adds: Upazila and DCC polls will be held in the last week of October, with the exact dates to be announced at the start of September, a top election official has said.
"The EC is ready to hold elections to a maximum number of upazilas between October 23-31," Election Commissioner Muhammad Sohul Hossain told the news agency Tuesday.
The EC also plans to hold the DCC polls at the tail end of the month, he said.
The schedule would be announced sometime in the first half of September, he added.
