The Election Commission says it plans to hold the elections to the Upazila councils in March.
It has already begun preparations for the polls to the nearly 500 Upazila’s across the country, its Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed told the media on Wednesday (Jan 2).
“The elections have to be held then because the SSC examinations were scheduled for February and HSC examinations were in April,” he said.
According to the law, elections must be held in the six months before the Upazila councils end their terms.
The Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed-led Commission administered the last Upazila elections in six phases between February and May in 2014 after the 10th national election on Jan 5 that year.
This year, for the very first time, the Upazila council elections will take place on party lines where the candidates will contest with a political party’s registered symbol.
The commission has the power to hold the presidential and national elections but any other election has to be sanctioned by the government.
In case of Upazila council elections, the EC will take steps to administer it when the Local Government Division writes to the commission saying that they are prepared.