The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The Election Commission (EC) has planned to hold elections to 241 upazilas on December 24 in the first phase maintaining serial number from Tatulia upazila under country's northern Panchgarh district.

Polling in the rest upazilas will be held on December 28, EC's Election Wing told BSS yesterday.

The commission has primarily chosen 10 election symbols for the upazila chairmen, vice-chairmen and the vice-chairmen for women reserved seats. The election symbols will be finalised after getting the Upazila Parishad Rules (UPRs).

The EC sources said the UPRs are set be published in gazette on Wednesday paving the way for holding elections to 482 upazilas across the country for the first time in 18 years in two phases.

"All preparations have been made to hold the upazila elections and the commission finds no problem in staging the polls after parliamentary election," Upazila Election Wing of Election Commission Secretariat sources said.

Ten symbols have been fixed for each post of the upazila election. The symbol would be allocated from an additional list if there is more than 10 candidates.

Ten symbols have been fixed for the upazila chairmen candidates. The symbols are pineapple, umbrella, telephone, wall clock, ink pot and pen, ladder and rickshaw.

Ten symbols have been fixed for Upazila vice-chairmen including football, parrot, mike, tiger, type writer and aero- plane.

Besides, 10 symbols have been fixed for women reserved seat for vice-chairman. The symbols include swan, camera, mango, swing machine, candle and fan.

The EC will announce the schedules of upazila and the Jatiya Sangsad elections in the first week of November.

Chief Election Commissioner Dr. ATM Shamsul Huda said on Monday that according to the election roadmap, the voter list will be finalised by October 30.