Voting in the fourth phase of 55 municipalities will be held on Sunday. Voting will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
At this stage, about half of the municipalities will vote on ballot papers and half of the municipalities will vote on EVMs.
Additional members of law enforcement have been deployed in at least 12 municipal areas. It is learned that 501 executive and 55 judicial magistrates are on the ground to ensure fair voting in this election.
Police have deployed 177 mobile and 55 striking force teams, 167 RAB teams, an average of two platoon BGB in each municipality and one platoon coastguard in each municipality in the coastal areas.
The EC has announced the schedule of 56 municipalities for the fourth phase of elections. Later Sonaimuri and Trishal municipalities were added to this step. On the other hand, the election of Natore municipality was postponed by the order of the High Court. In Feni's Parashuram municipality, candidates for all the posts have won unopposed, so there will be no need to vote here.
It was resumed after the Kalai municipality election in Joypurhat was stopped. Besides, the EC suspended the polls in Kalkini municipality of Madaripur due to violent incidents. For this, a total of 55 votes will be cast on Sunday.
The second round of voting took place on 16 January. In the third phase, voting took place in 63 municipalities on January 30. The fifth phase of polling will be held on February 28. Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader has expressed hope that the fourth phase of 55 municipal elections will be held in a fair and beautiful environment.
He said the government would not interfere in the exercise of the right to vote in municipal elections.
Voting in 55 municipalities will be completed peacefully without any violence. On the other hand, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has accused the ruling party of hooliganism in the run-up to the fourth round of municipal elections.
Rizvi said the police were also filing cases without any reason and making arrests at wholesale rates. In Thakurgaon, Phulpur in Mymensingh, Narsingdi, Satkhira, Jessore and other municipalities, harassment of BNP candidates is being obstructed, leaders and activists are being blocked, voters are being intimidated, posters of opposition candidates are being torn down. Despite not acknowledging this, the Election Commission hopes that there will be no more major violence from now on.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda said, "I hope the forthcoming polls will be fair and there will be no bloodshed."
The municipalities in which voting will take place are Thakurgaon Sadar and Ranishankail; Lalmonirhat Sadar and Patgram; Akkelpur and Kalai in Joypurhat; Shibganj in Chapainawabganj; Naohata, Tanore, Godagari and Taherpur in Rajshahi; Baraigram of Natore, Jivannagar of Chuadanga and Alamdanga; Chaugachha and Bagharpara of Jessore; Bagerhat Sadar; Satkhira Sadar; Kalapara of Patuakhali; Muladi and Banaripara in Barisal; Gopalpur and Kalihati in Tangail; Melandha of Jamalpur; Sherpur Sadar and Sreevardi; Phulpur and Trishal in Mymensingh; Netrokona Sadar; Bajitpur, Hossainpur and Karimganj of Kishoreganj; Mirkadim of Munshiganj; Narsingdi Sadar and Madhabadi; Rajbari Sadar and Goaland; Nagarkanda in Faridpur; Damudya of Shariatpur; Kanaighat in Sylhet; Chunarughat in Habiganj; Akhaura of Brahmanbaria; Homna and Daudkandi of Comilla; Kachua and Faridganj in Chandpur; Chatkhil and Sonaimuri in Noakhali; Ramgati of Laxmipur; Satkania, Chandnaish and Patia in Chittagong; Matiranga, Bandarban Sadar and Rangamati Sadar of Khagrachhari.
