Amid allegations of conflicts, threats, violations of electoral code of conduct, and influence by lawmakers, elections to 156 upazila parishads under the second phase of the ongoing local body polls are set to be held on Tuesday as electioneering for the phase ended at midnight past Sunday.
Candidates passed a busy day on Sunday in communicating with voters even at the last hours of campaigning, while many of them expressed doubt about voters鈥� turnout at the polling stations in the one-sided election. As most opposition parties, including the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, have boycotted the polls, they have been campaigning in favour of the boycott amid only 36 per cent turnout in the first phase of elections on May 8.
According to the Election Commission, all preparations for the second phase of the elections have been completed, while judicial magistrates have been appointed from Sunday for five days to check violation of electoral code of conducts.
The EC data said that 22 contestants鈥攕even chairman, eight vice-chairman and seven reserved seat vice-chairman for women鈥攈ave been elected uncontested in the second phase, while Raozan upazila of Chattogram and Adarsha Sadar upazila of Cumilla needed no elections as all three posts of these upazilas have been elected uncontested.
Two people were killed in clashes in Sadar upazila of Gopalganj and Belkuchi upazila of Sirajganj during the first phase of elections.
Clashes also occurred in the second phase of the election.
Baga union parishad member of Bauphal upazila of Patuakhali Saidur Rahman sustained seriously injury from hacking on Thursday.
Two supporters of a candidate were injured in an attack and cars were vandalised during a clash between the activists and supporters of two chairman candidates in Biswambharpur upazila of Sunamganj on Friday.
Allegations of threatening voters at many places have also been reported.
Comilla Sadar South upazila chairman candidate Golam Sarwar was served with a show cause notice by the returning officer after he had threatened to thrash his opponent at a road meeting on Tuesday.
Chairman candidate in Ramganj upazila of Lakshmipur Imtiaz Arafat filed a complaint with the returning officer against Awami League lawmaker Anwar Hussain Khan for influencing the voters in favour of his rival candidate.
Faridpur鈥檚 Bhanga upazila chairman candidate Mokhleshur Rahman at a press conference alleged that Faridpur-4 independent lawmaker Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury was violating the electoral code of conduct.
As in the first phase of the polls, disobeying Awami League鈥檚 central order, at least 14 relatives of lawmakers and ministers became candidates in this phase.
Talking to reporters at the EC headquarters Nirbachon Bhaban in Dhaka, election commissioner Md Alamgir said that the BNP is a major factor behind low turnout in the polls.
鈥楤ut this is not the only factor. Another big reason is that voters don鈥檛 want to come from their workplaces in local elections,鈥� he said.
鈥榃e hope that the second phase of elections will be fair and peaceful. The administration is very careful. The second phase elections will be fairer than the first phase of elections,鈥� he observed.
A total of 457 platoons of the Border Guard Bangladesh have been deployed to maintain law and order ahead of the second phase of the polls.
According to a BGB media release, the members of the paramilitary force will remain deployed during 19鈥�23 May.
鈥業n aid to the civil power鈥�, the BGB personnel will work with the local civil administration to hold a free, fair and peaceful election, it reads.
