EC's letter to parliament for preventing ministers, MPs from influencing UP polls: EC Alamgir

The Election Commission (EC) wrote a letter to the Parliament Secretariat for preventing ministers and members of parliament from influencing the upcoming sixth Upazila Parishad elections, Election Commissioner Md Alamgir said yesterday.

"The letter urged the ministers and MPs not to influence the elections in any illegitimate way," he told reporters at his office in Agargaon's Election Building on Thursday (2 May). 

"Field-level officials have been instructed not to take into account any political party leader who creates [any kind of] pressure [or influence], including ministers and MPs. All candidates should be treated equally. And if any candidate does not obey the code of conduct or exerts illegal influence, action will be taken as per the law," he said.

Till Thursday, in the third phase, a total of 1,588 candidates filed their nomination papers to run in the upcoming Upazila Parishad elections.

According to the EC Public Relations Director Md Shariful Alam, the candidates include 570 for the post of chairman, 618 for the post of vice-chairman and 400 for the post of female vice-chairman.

Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) will be used in 22 upazilas of nine districts during the first phase, with voting scheduled from 8 am to 4 pm continuously.

Notably, the upcoming 6th term of upazila parishad elections is primarily non-partisan in most cases. 

Fourth phase of upazila parishad election on 5 June: EC

Twenty-seven out of 44 registered political parties participated in the last Jatiya Sangsad elections. BNP and 17 like-minded parties boycotted the polls demanding elections under the caretaker government. 

In the last upazila  election in 2019, chairmen in 115 upazila parishads were elected uncontested. 

The Election Commission postponed the polling in Thanchi, Ruma and Rowangchhari upazilas of Bandarban owing to operations of joint forces in the region.