The elections to the Upazila councils will begin by the first week of March, says the Election Commission (EC).

“The fifth Upazila polls will be held in multiple phases across the country,” its Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed told the media on Thursday (Jan 10).

According to the law, elections must be held in the six months before the Upazila councils terms expire.

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 local government division.