The Election Commission (EC) plans to hold elections in 1,050 union parishads in the first phase on 21 January next year.
EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed shared the information with reporters at a press briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, this afternoon.
He said union parishads under Sadar upazila would be given priority in the first phase.
The commission will not use electronic voting machines (EVMs) in any election, he said. No final decision has been made on what to do with the machines.
The EC is also considering a system to collect and preserve National Identity Card (NID) registration data from the age of six. According to the secretary, the commission plans to build a database using information provided about children when they enrol in primary schools.
The commission is working to finalise the phased list of union parishads for the elections, he said. Many union parishads have become eligible for polls as their terms have expired.
Most of the country’s around 4,500 election-ready union parishads will go to the polls in the first two phases, the secretary said. The number will be lower in the third, fourth and fifth phases.
A preliminary list has been sent to field officials to check for any legal or boundary-related complications. It is expected to be finalised by Thursday.
