UP polls in five phases to begin on January 21

The Election Commission (EC) has decided to hold the Union Parishad (UP) elections in five phases. Voting in the first phase will begin on January 21 next year. Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd.) Mr. Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah said this. He spoke at a press briefing at the Election Bhaban in Agargaon, Dhaka, yesterday, after a commission meeting on the UP polls.

Mr. Sanaullah said the first phase will be held on January 21, 2027, the second on February 4, the third on April 29, the fourth on May 13 and the fifth on May 27. The UP elections will be completed through these five phases. The terms of about 4,300 UPs have already ended. By law, the polls for these UPs must be finished by May 27, 2027.

Last month, he had spoken about holding the UP polls in seven phases. The EC brought it down to five phases because of a shortage of time. The district election officers will announce the schedule for each polling day. Mr. Sanaullah said the schedule is usually announced about six weeks before, or within 42 to 45 days before voting.

He said the EC tried to hold all voting days on Thursdays. Elections will begin in all districts. The EC will give priority to the Sadar upazilas. It will also give priority to the UPs whose terms have ended under the law.

Mr. Sanaullah said the EC had tried to hold the UP polls before January 21. However, almost every possible event fell within these six or seven months. Two Eid festivals, two examinations and the Biswa Ijtema all came in this period. For this reason, the EC had to work with a tight schedule.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner Mr. A M M Nasir Uddin. The four other election commissioners and senior EC officials also took part in it.

Meanwhile, the EC will hold voting on November 12 for the vacant reserved women seat in Parliament. The seat fell vacant after BNP MP Ms. Ferdousi Ahmed Mishti resigned. This was learned from the schedule signed by EC Secretary Mr. Akhtar Ahmed.

According to the schedule, the last date to submit nomination papers to the returning officer is October 26. The nomination papers will be scrutinized on October 27. Appeals against the scrutiny can be filed on October 28, and they will be settled on October 29. The last date to withdraw candidacy is November 1. Symbols will be allotted on November 2, and voting will be held on November 12.

Ms. Mishti’s name came up in the attack, looting and vandalism at the Radda MCH FP Center in Mirpur, Dhaka. BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Mr. Tarique Rahman then asked her to resign. After she resigned, the Parliament Secretariat declared the seat vacant. Now the EC has announced the election schedule.