Union Parishad Election Dates Finalised: First Phase on November 12, Voting in 7 Phases

The Election Commission (EC) has tentatively set the dates for elections to 4,580 Union Parishads (UPs) across the country. According to the proposed schedule, this major local government election exercise will begin with voting in the first phase on November 12. The EC has initially decided to complete elections to all Union Parishads in seven phases.

Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazl Md Sanauallah confirmed the information to journalists after a commission meeting on Monday (September 14).

After the meeting, Election Commissioner Abul Fazl Md Sanauallah said voting in the country’s 4,580 Union Parishads would be held in seven phases. According to the tentative schedule, the first phase of voting will be held on November 12, the second on December 13, and the third on December 30.

Giving details of the subsequent phases, he said the fourth phase of voting would be held on January 17 next year, followed by the fifth phase on February 4, the sixth on April 22, and the seventh and final phase on May 27.

Regarding the plan for the first phase, the election commissioner said the long process of local government elections could begin with voting in Union Parishads in 80 upazilas across the country. He said these decisions had been taken provisionally by the commission.

Regarding discussions with political parties, he said the Election Commission would hold detailed discussions with all registered political parties to ensure free, fair and inclusive local government elections. According to the commission’s decision, the EC will begin this series of dialogues with registered parties during the third stage of the overall process.