Around 34.33% voter turnout in 4th phase upazila polls: CEC

The fourth phase of the country's sixth Upazila Parishad Election held in 60 upazilas under 26 districts in the country today (5 June).

The voting began at 8:00am and continued till 4:00pm.

A total of 721 candidates competed in the electoral race against 180 posts of 60 Upazila Parishads.

The candidates include 251 chairman contenders, 265 vice chairman and 205 women (reserved) vice chairman contestants.

Some 1.44 crore voters (exactly 1,43,57,820) were registered under 5,144 polling stations in the 60 upazilas, according to the factsheets provided by the Election Commission on Tuesday.

Among them, the electronic voting machines were used in six upazilas, while the traditional ballot papers were used in the rest upazilas.

5:00pm

Around 34.33% voter turnout in 4th phase upazila polls: CEC

The voter turnout in the fourth phase of Upazila Parishad election that took place today was 34.33%, the Election Commission has said.

"Voting took place in all 60 upazilas, the election was peaceful overall, with some isolated incidents. As a result, 28 individuals were arrested, and 9 others were subjected to penalties for their involvement in various offences," Chief Election Commission Kazi Habibul Awal while briefing the media in Agargaon's Election Building on Wednesday (5 June).

2:00pm

17.31% voter turnout in first four hours

Voter turnout was approximately 17.31% in the first four hours of polling in the fourth phase of the country's sixth Upazila Parishad election today (5 June), said EC Secretary Shafiul Azim in a press briefing in EC Bhaban.

12:20pm

3 including polling agents sentenced to imprisonment in Brahmanbaria

Separate mobile courts have sentenced three people, including two polling agents, to prison for illegally entering polling stations and carrying mobile phones in the Bijoynagar Upazila Parishad elections of Brahmanbaria.

The convicts are Harun Mia, Shahana Begum and Kausar Mia. Executive Magistrate Imranul Haque Bhuiyan and Md Moin Uddin Khandkar conducted separate mobile courts around 10:30am today.

According to mobile court sources, a young man named Kausar Mia entered the polling station of Aulianagar Mohammadia Alim Madrasa in Bijoynagar Upazila in the morning. As he entered the center without being a voter, the policemen on duty arrested him. Later he was sentenced to five days imprisonment by the mobile court of the Executive Magistrate Md Moin Uddin Khandkar.

Apart from this, agents of two candidates, Harun Mia and Shahana Begum, were arrested and presented in front of a mobile court for keeping mobile phones inside the Chhatarpur High School polling station of the same upazila despite the presiding officer's prohibition. Then Executive Magistrate Imranul Haque Bhuiyan sentenced them to three days imprisonment.

Brahmanbaria Sadar, Bijoynagar and Nabinagar Upazila Parishad Election Returning Officer Md Abdullah Al Mamun said polling has been going on peacefully since morning. Adequate number of law enforcement personnel are deployed for the security of the polling station and surrounding areas, he added.

10:45am

Presiding officer obstructs agents from entering polling centre in Cumilla

There arose claims of the presiding officer is obstructing agents from entering the Tuguria Government Primary School center in Adra Union of Nangalkot Upazila in Cumilla.

Voters also did not come to the polling centres due to lack of polling agents. Only two votes were cast in 1.5 hours.

Presiding Officer Sarwar Alam said there are 2,360 voters in Tuguria Government Primary School Centre. There are 5 polling booths in the center. Polling started at 8am, but at 8:35am, an agent of Abu Yusuf Bhuiyan, candidate of pineapple symbol, tried to enter the centre.

"I did not allow him to come in as he arrived after the specified time. So he instigated the agents of other candidates to leave the polling centre along with the supporters of all the candidates. They are not allowing voters to come. Now there is no one but the agent of one chairman candidate in the center."

Meanwhile, Mahfuzul Haque, the joint convener of Awami League, a supporter of the candidate of inkwell-pen symbol, said, "The police and the presiding officer asked us for bribe. As we refused to give any money they refused to allow any other agents who came after that.

"We along with the supporters of all the candidates are demanding the withdrawal of this official."

The same claim was made by Abu Sufian, the center's chief agent for the pineapple symbol, and Saiful Islam, the agent for the cup-pearl symbol candidate.

9:25am

Voting begins in Barishal; low voter turnout in first hour

In the fourth phase of Upazila Parishad elections, polling has started in three upazilas of Barishal. 

In Banaripara upazila there are 2 candidates for the post of chairman, 6 for vice chairman and 5 for woman vice chairman. 

In Wazirpur there are 4 candidates for the post of chairman, 3 for vice chairman and 2 for woman vice chairman. 

There are 2 candidates for the post of chairman, 3 for vice chairman and 2 for woman vice chairman in Babuganj.

A total of 1.42 lakh voters will exercise their right to vote in 53 centres of 8 unions in Banaripara. Of this, 72, 754 are men, 69, 606 are women.

In Wazirpur, 2.2 lakh voters will exercise their right to vote in 83 centres in 9 unions. Out of which, 1.13 lakh are men, 1.8 lakh are women and 1 transgender.

In Babuganj, 1.4 lakh people will vote in 54 centres in 6 unions. Out of which 71, 311 are male, 70, 648 are female.

On April 24 last, the Election Commission announced the schedule for third phase Upazila Parishad polls.

A security team of 17-19 members would guard each polling station in the plain districts, while a security team of 19-21 members would protect a polling station in the Chittagong hill tracts and very remote areas.

This time, the Election Commission is arranging the sixth Upazila Parishad election in four phases.  The commission declared the election schedule to hold polls in some 450 upazilas out of the country's 495 upazilas.

The first phase election was held in 139 upazila parishads on May last 8, while the second phase election in 156 upazilas on May 21 last and the third phase election in 90 upazilas on May 29 last.