Voting in over 700 Union Parishads of 87 upazilas under 46 districts will be held on Saturday in the 4th phase election to the lowest tier of the local government.

 

The balloting will be held from 8am to 4pm without any break through some 7,000 polling stations, UNB reports.

 

Meanwhile, voting would not require for 33 chairman posts, 227 member posts and 98 reserved seats as single candidates against the posts have already been elected uncontested.

 

Over 34,000 candidates, including nearly 3,200 chairman contenders, are in the 4th phase election race. Besides, 24,000 member candidates and 7,000 contenders for the reserved seat are contesting the polls.

 

Among the chairman candidates, some 1,700 are from 15 political parties and 1,500 are independent contestants.

 

Among the 709 UPs that are going to polls on Saturday, AL has candidates in 708 UPs, while BNP in 604 UPs and HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party in 152 UPs.

 

Like the first three phases of the UP elections, at least 33 chairman candidates, all from ruling Awami League, have already been elected uncontested finding no rival candidates against their respective posts in the 4th phase.

 

With the 33 single chairman candidates, some 150 contenders were elected unopposed in the first four phases.

 

Five magistrates - four executive magistrates and a judiciary magistrate- remain deployed to prevent polling irregularities for four days from Thursday in each of upazilas where election will be held on Saturday.

 

Alongside the magistrates, an additional number of police, Rab, BGB, APBn, Ansar and Coastguard would remain deployed for the four days in the election areas to maintain electoral environment.

 

Meanwhile, a 19-member security team comprising five policemen, 14 Ansar/VDP members is protecting each vulnerable polling centre, while a 17-member team comprising three policemen and 14 Ansar/VDP members is guarding each normal polling station.

 

On March 27, the EC announced the schedule for the 4th phase UP election.

 

The EC is arranging election to some 4,275 UPs out of total 4546 in six phases from March to June this year.