Stayed municipal polls on Jan 12

Re-elections to 51 polling stations in 20 municipalities across the country will be held on January 12, said officials at the Election Commission (EC) today.

The election commissioners made the decision at their regular meeting today, said EC officials.

Voting at these polling stations was suspended on December 30 last year due to violence and irregularities.

The EC has also decided to deploy additional law enforcers to check violence and irregularities for the sake of holding the elections in fair and peaceful manner.

"Besides, we will deploy 51 executive magistrates in 51 polling stations so that anyone, who will try to commit irregularities or create violence, can be punished," an election commissioner told The Daily Star.

Elections to around 3,555 polling stations of 234 municipalities were supposed to be held on December. Of them, voting to the 51 polling stations of 20 municipalities was suspended.

Of the 214 municipalities, ruling Awami League nominated mayoral candidates won in 168 municipalities, BNP candidates won in 19, independent candidates won in 26 and only one Jatiya Party mayoral candidate won in the polls.

Meanwhile, elections to Singair municipality of Manikganj will be held tomorrow.