EC won't seek army for UP polls

The Election Commission is not going to seek army deployment in the upcoming Union Parishad polls as the EC apprehends lower level of violence compared to other elections.

"Currently, we don't see any logical ground to deploy army. No such situations have arisen that requires the move," said Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz.

He was talking to reporters at his EC Secretariat office in the capital yesterday.

"As these are grassroots level elections, all candidates and voters are usually known to each other. So, don't think there will be major violence during the polls," he observed.

Backtracking on his earlier comment, the commissioner said paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) along with regular law-enforcement agencies including police, Rab and Ansar would be deployed.

Earlier on Monday, Shah Nawaz told reporters that the commission had initially decided not to deploy BGB in the UP polls.

Elections to more than 700 UPs will be held in the first phase on March 22, while around 3,500 more UPs will go on polls in phases till June 4.

For the first time in Bangladesh, elections for the post of chairman in the UPs will be held on partisan lines. Chairman aspirants will be able to contest under party symbols, while others can also run the polls independently.

SECOND PHASE

Elections to 710 UPs will be held across the country on March 31 in the second phase.

The district election officers will announce the polls schedule at their respective districts today, said EC Secretary Sirazul Islam.

As per the second phase poll schedule, the last date of filing nomination is March 2. Nomination will be scrutinised on March 5-6 and the last date for withdrawal from the polls is March 13.