Bangladesh News

With everything set for upazila elections after around 19 long years, the time for formal electioneering ended midnight last night, 32 hours before voting begins tomorrow morning.

Though non-partisan legally, the local government polls a little over three weeks after the national polls will see another contest between the political parties.

Those in contention are mostly grassroots level leaders of Awami League (AL), BNP, Jatiya Party and others.

Organizing or attending rallies or processions within election areas is banned since zero hour today. The curbs will be in force till 64 hours after the start of polling at 8:00am.

Candidates and their workers might still carry on door-to-door canvassing in last-ditch try to woo voters.

All but one of the total 481 upazilas are going to polls this time. Polling at Dighinala upazila of Khagrachhari has been suspended.

Security before, on and after January 22 is an issue of concern now that an elected government has replaced the caretaker administration.

The military forces will help the law enforcers maintain law and order. Already fanned out across the country, the troops will work as a striking force with the authority to arrest troublemakers.

They will be deployed till January 24 to ward off post-polls violence.

The last time people voted in upazila elections was in 1990.

The Election Commission (EC) Secretariat has already completed its preparation for the polls that follow a long wrangle between the commission and political parties over timing of the elections.

As many as 7,32,58,950 people are entitled to cast votes to choose 480 chairpersons, and the same number of general vice-chair and women vice-chair.

Over 8,000 people are competing for the posts that constitute upazila parishads, a crucial tier of the local government system. Tomorrow will be a general holiday in the election areas.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda might address the nation this evening through radio and television.

To avert violence and irregularities in the local polls, security forces have been asked to ensure patrol more intense than that on the December 29 election.

The security arrangements reflect the concern for security. Initially, the EC wanted to conduct the polls without deploying the military, but it thought better of it amid reports of violence after the recently held general election.

“We have taken all necessary measures so the elections are held peacefully and fairly, and the government too has extended full cooperation,” Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Shakhawat Hossain told reporters at his office yesterday.

Asked if the government is bearing down on them to have the election results in favour of the ruling parties, he said there is no pressure on the commission.

A special cell at the EC Secretariat yesterday began working to co-ordinate the efforts towards a sound law and order.

Tomorrow’s election is a challenge also to the new government, as any violence and attempts to influence the polls will taint its image.

According to the local government laws, an upazila parishad shall be comprised of a chairman, two vice-chairmen, chairmen of all union parishads and mayor of municipality, if there’s any under a given upazila, and a certain number of women members from reserved seats.

Though formal campaigning began after December 31, the closing date for withdrawal of candidacy, most of the contenders have been canvassing for quite a long time now.

Originally, the elections were slated for December 28, but they were rescheduled for January 22 following with major political parties.

An ordinance proclaimed in June last year curtailed the lawmakers’ power with regard to upazila parishads and gave upazila chairmen the complete authority to use development funds.

The government imposed a ban on the movement of some vehicles from midnight today till tomorrow midnight in the areas the upazila parishad elections will be held.

The vehicles are taxicabs, motorized three-wheelers, microbuses, jeeps, pickup trucks, cars, buses, trucks and tempos, says a government order.

The order is also effective for launches, engine-boats and speedboats plying through the election areas.

The ban, however, will not be effective on the highways, and restrictions could be eased in the port areas for supply of important products, if necessary, it said.

Movement of motorcycles in the upazila areas has already been interdicted from midnight yesterday till midnight January 24.

The transport ban will not apply to the local and foreign election observers, journalists, and those on election duty.

Vehicles used on emergency service, power and utility services and post and telecommunication will be out of the ban’s purview.

The ban could be relieved for poll candidates and their agents as per order of returning officers.