Voting for the first phase of the 6th Upazila Parishad Election was underway across 139 upazilas nationwide on Wednesday, with polls open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm without any interruptions.
In Sylhet, voting is proceeding peacefully across four upazilas 鈥� Sylhet Sadar, Dakshin Surma, Bishwanath, and Golapganj 鈥� amid strict security. Although election materials were delivered the night before the polls, ballots were distributed early in the morning, ensuring a smooth start to the day鈥檚 voting.
Mohammad Zillur Rahman, the district鈥檚 senior election officer, highlighted the comprehensive monitoring in place, with four judicial magistrates and in each union one executive magistrate stationed to oversee the electoral process.
Bagerhat鈥檚 festive atmosphere was evident in the Kachua and Rampal upazilas, where especially female voters participated actively. The district has 30 polling centers in Kachua and 49 in Rampal, all bustling with voters.
Meherpur and Kishoreganj districts also reported robust voter participation. In Meherpur, voters in Sadar and Mujibnagar upazilas turned out in large numbers, while in Kishoreganj, initial slow voter traffic in Sadar, Hossainpur, and Pakundia upazilas was expected to pick up as the day progressed.
In Cumilla, the turnout was enthusiastic in Laksam, Manoharganj, and Meghna upazilas, where a total of 556,000 voters are registered. Meanwhile, in Khagrachhari, peaceful voting was underway in Ramgarh, Matiranga, Manikchari, and Lakshmichhari upazilas, with 213,897 voters expected to participate.
Security is tight, with teams of 17-19 personnel guarding each polling station in the plains and 19-21 in the Chattogram Hill Tracts and remote areas. The elections are occurring in approximately 10,400 polling stations nationwide.
Due to heavy rains since midnight, voter turnout at the polling centers of Natore in the morning was low.
However, as weather conditions improve, voter turnout is expected to increase.
In the first phase, election is being held in three upazilas of Natore Sadar, Singra and Naldanga.
Voting is underway through ballot in 302 centers in the three upazilas.
District election officer and returning officer Abdul Latif Sheikh said adequate security measures have been taken to ensure a fair and peaceful election.
In Singra Upazila Parishad election, voting is being held only for the post of vice-chairman. Delwar Hossain Pasha has been elected uncontested to the post of chairman.
In Sadar upazila, five persons are contesting for the chairman post, six for male vice chairman post and two for female vice-chairman post.
After adjustments in the election schedule due to uncontested winners in five upazilas and postponements in eight, the Election Commission has organised the elections in four phases. The subsequent phases will cover additional upazilas on May 21, May 29, and June 5.