The Election Commission has deployed additional members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in 24 risk-prone upazilas ahead of the tomorrow’s third phase of upazila elections.

“We have come up with a strong step by deploying additional members of BGB and Rab from today in the vulnerable upazilas,” said EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said while addressing a press conference at the Media Centre of Nirbachan Bhaban in Dhaka’s Agargaon area. 

Apart from this, the commission has deployed additional executive magistrates to oversee irregularities in the third phase upazila parishad election, said the EC secretary.

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7 shot dead in Rangamati

The decision came in the backdrop of the gun attack in Rangamati on the day of the second phase of upazila elections on March 18, the EC secretary said.

At least seven people, including two polling officials and four Ansar personnel, were shot dead and 14 people were injured in the deadly attack in Rangamati's Baghaichhari during the second phase of upazila election on March 18.

Two jeeps came under a hail of gunfire in Noymile area on the day while the security personnel, including two women, and the polling officials were returning to the upazila town with election results and polling materials. The attackers are unknown.

The voting to all Sadar upazila of Rangpur, Gopalganj and Meherpur will be held through Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the third phase upazila parishad election, he added.  

On February 14, the Election Commission announced the schedule for the third phase election at 127 upazila parishads.

Now, the third phase upazila election will be held at 117 upazilas instead of 127 as the election of four upazilas has been deferred while all the posts including chairman reserved for women were elected uncontested in the six upazilas, according to the commission.