The Election Commission (EC) will hold the union parishad (UP) elections this time in five phases, with the first phase of voting scheduled for 21 January next year.
The EC finalised the election schedule at a meeting at the Election Commission headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Monday. Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah later briefed journalists on the dates for the five phases of voting.
According to the EC’s decision, the second phase of voting will take place on 4 February, the third on 29 April, the fourth on 13 May and the fifth on 27 May.
On 14 September, the EC announced a tentative schedule for the UP elections. It had initially planned to hold the elections in seven phases, starting on 12 November.
However, at a meeting with the relevant ministries and departments on 17 September, difficulties in holding the elections in November and December were highlighted. The EC had then said it would hold further discussions before finalising the election dates.