5th phase upazila polls today

The 5th phase of the staggered upazila parishad elections will be held in 23 upazilas today amid boycott by almost all the opposition political parties.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies, the left parties and most Islamist parties are staying away from the polls protesting against the ‘fraud’ and ‘flaws’ that marred the December 30 general election.
For the first time in the country, the candidates in the upazila elections have been nominated by political parties and they are using their party electoral symbols.
In the 5th phase, the election will be held in Nakla, Naldanga, Kamarkhand, Sundarganj, Rangabali, Taltali, Gazipur Sadar, Narayanganj Bandar, Madaripur Sadar, Kalukhali, Shayestaganj, Banchharampur, Bijoynagar, Cumilla Adarsha Sadar, Cumilla Sadar South, Noakhali Sadar, Paba, Purbadhola, Jamalganj, Katiadi, Mathbaria and Chhagalnaiya upazilas.
The 1st phase of the elections was held in 81 upazilas under 12 districts on March 10, the 2nd phase in 138 upazilas under 16 districts on 18 March, the 3rd phase in 122 upazilas under 25 districts on March 24 and the 4th phase was held in 107 upazilas under 22 districts on March 31.
As in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th phases, ruling Awami League’s candidates are contesting against rebel candidates in most upazilas in the 5th phase, too.
Election Commission officials said that the commission had already asked the respective returning officers to take all the necessary steps for holding the elections in a peaceful manner.
The government has, meanwhile, announced public holiday in the 23 upazilas where the 5th phase of the upazila parishad election will be held today.
No voting will be required in three upazials – Cumilla Adarsha Sadar, Cumilla Sadar South and Banchharampur – as all the representatives are set to be elected unopposed in the upazilas.
Earlier, elections to 463 of the country’s 491 upazila parishads were held in the first four phases.
Elections in 12 upazilas were held earlier at different times as the tenures of those upazila parishads were completed, EC officials said. 
In the elections held to the 463 upazila parishads, more than 95 per cent of the chairman posts were bagged by Awami League leaders either nominated by the party or contested as rebel candidates, according to the unofficial results compiled by the EC officials.
In the four phases, 131 independent candidates, mostly AL rebels, were elected defeating AL-nominated candidates.
Besides, 298 AL-nominated chairman candidates won the elections while 108 of them were elected uncontested.
The BNP has expelled a good number of its grassroots leaders for contesting the ongoing upazila parishad polls violating the party’s instructions for boycotting the elections under the incumbent government.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net