Gazipur, Khulna: City polls May 15

Election to Gazipur and Khulna city corporations are scheduled to be held on May 15.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda announced the election schedule at a press conference at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital yesterday.

According to the election schedule, the deadline for submission of nomination papers is April 12. Election officials would scrutinise the documents on April 15-16, while candidates can withdraw their candidacy till April 23.

Gazipur City Corporation is formed with 57 general wards and 19 reserved wards with around 11.64 lakh voters. Dhaka Regional Election Officer Rakibuddin Mandol has been made the returning officer for Gazipur City Corporation polls. The last election in GCC was held on July 6, 2013.

Khulna City Corporation is formed with 31 general wards and 10 reserved wards with around 4.93 lakh voters. Regional Election Officer Md Yunus Ali has been made the returning officer for this election, which was last held on June 15, 2013.

BNP-backed candidates won both the city corporation elections last time.

In 2013, four city corporations including Barisal, Sylhet, Rajshahi and Khulna were held on the same day and BNP-backed candidates won all four mayoral posts.

Polls to Barisal, Sylhet and Rajshahi city corporations would be held by October this year, said election commission officials, adding that a decision to that end would be taken after Ramadan.

Responding to a query, CEC Huda said they talked with the Local Government Division and found that there were no legal complications in holding elections in Gazipur and Khulna.

In response to another query, the CEC said the commission was collecting new electronic voting machines, which would be used experimentally in some centres of those elections.

He also said that election commission would be more cautious in the national election and law-enforcement agencies would take more preparations to avert any untoward situations.