The first phase of the Upazila Parishad Election saw a voter turnout of 43.32 percent, says Election Commission.
"A total of 78 Upazila Parishads went to the polls on Sunday, where some 43.32 percent of the voters cast their votes," EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said told the media on Monday (Mar 11), reports UNB.
About the reported election irregularities, Helal said the balloting at some polling stations were suspended, and now the commission will investigate and take legal action against those involved in anomalies.
Voting in 28 polling centres was cancelled while three election officials arrested on various grounds during the first phase of the upazila polls held on Sunday (Mar 10).
On February 3, the Election Commission had announced the election schedule for 87 upazilas in the first phase of the Fifth Upazila elections. Later, the polls to six were postponed on different grounds.
The candidates against all the Union Parishad posts of three upazilas have already been elected unopposed.
The 5th upazila election will be completed in five phases holding polls to some 480 upazilas out of 492. The EC so far has announced the election schedules for the first four phases.
The second phase of the election is set for March 18, while the third for Mar 24 and the fourth on Mar 31.