Zila Parishad election begins

Voting in the second election to 57 Zila Parishads (district councils) across the country began on Monday morning in a non-partisan manner unlike the polls to other local government bodies.

The balloting began at 9am and will continue till 2pm without any break in 925 polling stations across the country using EVM, except five districts—Feni, Bhola, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Bandarban, Chapainawabganj and Noakhali.

The elections in Chapainawabganj and Noakhali have been suspended due to court orders while all representatives of Feni and Bhola have been elected uncontested.

According to the Zila Parishad Act, the elected representatives of the city corporations, upazila parishads, union parishads, and municipalities are the voters in the zila parisahd polls.

The law stipulated the zila parishad elections be held 180 days before the expiry of a parishad’s tenure.

The elections have, however, been delayed due to the enactment of the Zila Parishad (Amendment) Act 2022.

Amid the boycott by the main opposition BNP and the Jatiya Party, ruling AL-backed candidates became chairs in 25 districts in the first zila parishad polls in 2016, when AL leaders running as independent candidates won in 13 districts and AL leaders won unopposed in 21 districts.

By Daily Sun