5th Phase UP Elections To Be Held on Jan 5

The fifth phase of the Union Parishad (UP) elections will be held on January 5 next year. The Election Commission (EC) has announced the schedule for the elections to be held in 707 UPs across the country.

At this stage, EVM voting will be taken in 37 Union Parishads. The rest will be voted on through ballot papers.

EC Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandaker announced the schedule at a press briefing after the commission meeting on Saturday (November 27) morning.

Earlier in the morning, the 90th adjourned meeting of the commission was held under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda. At the end of the meeting, the schedule for the fifth round of elections was announced.

After the meeting, Humayun Kabir said that according to the schedule, December 7 is the last day to submit nomination papers for the posts of general members and reserved women members. Nomination papers will be verified and selected on December 9; Appeal 10 to 12 December; Decision 13 and 14 December. Withdrawal of nomination papers on 15th December, allotment of symbols on 17th December and elections will be held on 5th January on Wednesday.

There are about four and a half thousand union councils in the country. The EC has planned to complete the voting of all UPs suitable for elections before the end of their term through step-by-step voting.

Earlier, 369 Union Parishad elections were held in two phases of the first phase on June 21 and 20 and 833 in the second phase on November 11. One thousand in the third phase and 840 UP elections in the fourth phase will be held on Sunday (November 28).

EC Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath, NID DG AKM Humayun Kabir, Joint-Secretary Farhad Ahmed Khan and Public Relations Director SM Asaduzzaman were present at the press briefing held at the Media Center of Election Building.