Online Desk : Voting is underway at 160 unions across the country as voters cast their ballots to elect new public representatives to Union Parishad seats. Elections are also underway in nine municipalities and bypolls are ongoing at two upazilas.

Polling centres opened at 8 am on Monday and will remain open until 4 pm, said Md Atiar Rahman, deputy secretary at the Election Commission.

“Voting has been peaceful. There have been no problems anywhere. Our monitoring team is keeping track of the situation. We hope for a free and fair election.”

SPs and returning officers have been instructed to take the necessary steps to control the situation, he said. Law enforcement personnel have been deployed according to the needs of the returning officers in each constituency.

Elections for over 350 UPs were to be held on Apr 11, but were delayed due to the coronavirus. Polls were held at 204 unions on Jun 21. One hundred and sixty of the other unions where elections were delayed due to the pandemic, went to the polls on Monday.

One, the UP polls for Morelganj’s Nishanbari, has been suspended due to a court order.

The terms of over 4,000 other UPs are up. A decision on when these elections will be held is expected near the end of this month.

Candidates from several political parties, including the Awami League, the Jatiya Party and Islami Andolan Bangladesh are competing in the polls under their party banners. The BNP has decided to boycott the polls, but many of its leaders are running as independent candidates.

Two people were killed in violence surrounding the Jun 21 UP elections. But the Election Commission believes this vote will proceed smoothly, barring a few small, isolated incidents.

POLLS, AT A GLANCE

>> Ballots are being cast for 160 Union Parishads and 9 municipalities. By-elections are also being held for the vice chairman post at two upazilas.

>> 44 UP chairmen and 3 municipal mayors (Nangalkot, Boalkhali, Kabirhat) have been elected unopposed

>> Polls open at 8 am and will close at 4 pm

>> Electronic Voting Machines, or EVMs, are in use at 11 UP and 9 municipal polls

>> 500 candidates are vying for the post of UP chairman, 6,286 for general UP seats and 1,948 for reserve seats

>> 27 candidates are competing for the post of municipal mayor.