DHAKA: Voting in 13 upazilas in nine districts in the final phase of the elections is underway on Monday amid tight security.

The voters started casting their votes from 8:00am and will continue till 4:00pm at a stretch.

Some 61 candidates are vying for chairman post, 69 candidates for vice-chairman post and 49 candidates for women vice-chairman post in the upazila polls. 

Besides, the by-poll at Tarakanda upazila in Mymensigh is underway where three candidates are fighting for the Chairman post.

There are around 746 polling centers having a Presiding Officer each where some 184,5133 voters are likely to cast their votes in 13-upazilas. 

Army personnel were deployed in the electoral area three days before the polling day and they will remain there for five days as usual and all types of campaigning declared stopped in the voting areas from Saturday midnight.

Election Commission (EC) issued restrictions on movements of all types of vehicles in those upazilas from Sunday midnight. 

The upazilas are Sadar, Kaunia, Gangachara, Pirgachha upazilas of Rangpur district, Kamarkhand of Sirajganj district, Taltali of Barguna, Adarsha Sadar and Sadar Dakshin upazila of Comilla, Kalukhali of Rajbari, Gazipur Sadar, Basail of Tagail, Bijaynagar of Brahmanbaria. 

Election Commission Secretary Sirajul Islam said that there were no untoward situations were reported yet.

Earlier, the Election Commission declared the poll schedule in fourteen upazilas but due to some legal complexity, the voting to Rangabali of Patuakhali district and Bandar upazila in Narayanganj will not be held on the day.

BDST: 0858 HRS, MAY 19, 2014