DHAKA: Voting in 717 union parishads (UP) of 34 districts of the country got underway on Tuesday morning (March 22) amid tight security.

The elections started at 8:00am and will continue till 4:00pm.

Around 1.25-crore voters are exercising their franchise rights in 6,987 polling centers on the day.

This is the first ever partisan union parishad polls in the country.

As many as 3,043, 7,575 and 25,847 candidates are vying for chairman, reserved posts and councilor posts respectively.

A total of 14 political parties, including ruling Awami League, BNP and Jatiya Party, have participated in the polls.

Meanwhile, 54 candidates of Awami League have already been elected unopposed.

The election commission (EC) has appointed over 120,000 officials and 200,000 law enforcers on the polls duty.

Over 3,000 journalists and several thousands observers are observing voting in the union parishads. However, no foreign observers came this year.

Meanwhile, chief election commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed announced that officers-in-charge (OCs) of respective thanas, returning officers and others polls officials will be held accountable for any irregularities during polls.

The EC has decided to arrange polls in around 4,500 union parishads of the country in six phases. This is the first phase.

BDST: 0836 HRS, MAR 22, 2016
SR