DHAKA, June 10, 2021 (BSS) – The Election Commission (EC) has postponed polls to 163 union parishads (UPs) and deferred date of by-election to three parliamentary seats.
As per the new schedule, by-polls to three parliamentary seats—Dhaka-14, Sylhet-3 and Cumilla-5—will be held on July 28 instead of July 14.
EC Secretary Md. Humayun Kabir Khandaker disclosed this after the end of the 82nd meeting of the EC at Agargaon Nirbachan Bhaban here.
By-polls to Laxmipur-2 seat will be held on scheduled date on June 21 due to constitutional bindings.
Except voting date, other schedule of the by-polls to the three seats will remain unchanged. As per the schedule, last date of nomination paper submission is June 15, scrutiny of nomination paper on June 17, last date of nomination paper withdrawal is June 23 and symbol distribution on June 24.
The EC secretary said polls to 163 UPs which are in risk of coronavirus spread have been postponed.
Humayun Kabir said earlier the EC has announced schedule to hold polls to 367 UPs on June 21.
In view of coronavirus outbreak, polls to 163 UPs including all UPs in Khulna division, Noakhali, Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar districts have been postponed. All kinds of local government polls remain suspended in the areas where voting has been postponed.
Polls to other 204 UPs will be held in scheduled time.
Voting to nine municipalities has also been suspended but elections will be held at Setabganj in Dinajpur and Jhalakathi municipality as per schedule maintaining health guidelines strictly.
Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda chaired the commission meeting, where other election commissioners and EC officials were present.