The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Returning officers across the country yesterday allocated election symbols among chairman and vice-chairman candidates of the upazila council election.

The election in 481 upazilas to the posts of chairman and two vice-chairmen, one for male and the other for female, will be held on January 22.A total of 3,316 candidates are vying for the chairman post while 2,879 candidates are in the race for the vice-chairman post for males and 1,936 for the vice-chairman post for females.

Election Commission (EC) assigned 40 symbols separately for the posts of the chairman and vice-chairman.

A senior assistant secretary to the EC yesterday said a total of 9,976 people filed nomination papers for the post of chairman, vice-chairman and female vice-chairman.

Of them, a total of 4,222 for chairmanship, 3543 for vice chairmanship and 2211 for reserved female vice chairmanship will contest in the election.

Nomination papers were scrutinised from December 17 to 19. On December 23, the EC cancelled a total of 504 nominations after hearing appeals.

A maximum of 18 candidates will contest in the Nabinagar Upazila of Brahmanbaria, sources said.

Our Narsingdi Correspondent said a total of 114 candidates, including 44 chairman candidates, are vying in 6 upazilas in the district. District Election office yesterday distributed election symbols to them.

Sources said, forty candidates are to vie for the posts of nine upazila chairmen in nine upazilas of Khulna district as 10 contestants out of the total 50 withdrew their candidatures yesterday.

District election office sources said 58 candidates have filed nomination papers for the posts of vice chairman of which six have withdrawn their candidatures.

Among 45 contestants for the post vice chairman (female), two have withdrawn their nomination papers.

In Joypurhat, thirteen candidates withdrew their nomination papers for the upcoming upazila polls in five upazilas of the district.

Sources said those who withdrew their nomination papers were six chairman candidates, and four male vice chairman candidates and three female vice chairman candidates.

Meanwhile, distribution of symbols among the candidates for the posts of chairman, vice-chairman and female vice-chairman began yesterday in Mymensingh district.

District election office sources said, the returning officer distributed the symbols among the 113 candidates of six upazilas out of 12 in the district. Of the total, 15 symbols were distributed in Haluaghat, 25 in Phulpur, 21 in Gouripur, 23 in Sadar and 13 in Dhubaura upazilas.

The sources said the symbols will be distributed among the candidates of the rest six upazilas today. The upazilas are Fulbaria, Trishal, Ishwarganj, Nandail, Gaffargeon and Bhaluka.