The Election Commission (EC) is expected to announce the schedule for the polls to the Dhaka North and South city corporations on Dec 22, says a senior official.
"The agenda for the Commission's meeting for Sunday [Dec 22] includes the schedule for the polls to the two Dhaka cities and it would be announced the same day," EC Secretary Md Alamgir said on Thursday (Dec 18).
Responding to a query on the day for voting, the EC official said that it would be decided at the meeting.
Sources at the EC, however, said that the Commission is mulling Jan 30 for the balloting in the elections to the Dhaka North and South city corporations.
According to them, the deadline for filing nominations is likely to end on Dec 30 or 31 and the last day to pull out from the race may be fixed for Jan 10.
Some EC officials, however, say that the Commission might go for Jan 29 for the voting as the 30th falls on Thursday, day before the weekend starts, which may result in lower voter turnout.
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be used to cast ballots at the elections to the two Dhaka city corporations.
Elections to the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) were previously held on Apr 28, 2015.
The first meeting of the DNCC was held on May 14 and DSCC on May 17 the same year.
As per the Local Government (City Corporation) Act, 2009, election will be held within 180 days before the expiry of the term which starts from the day of the first meeting.