The Election Commission has suspended the election process in eight municipalities at the request of the Local Government Ministry.
The municipalities are Naohata in Rajshahi, Dupchachia in Bogra, Shreepur in Gazipur, Chandpur sadar, Fulbaria in Mymensingh, Chuadanga sadar, Shariatpur sadar and Manikganj sadar.
Of those, the election schedules for Shreepur, Naohata and Dupchachia have already been announced for September 8 next. Even then, the polls in three municipalities were postponed.
“The commission at a meeting today (Tuesday) suspended the election process in the municipalities at the request of the Local government ministry,” election commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Jabed Ali told UNB on Tuesday.
“But we’re continuing the election process in other local government bodies as per the rules,” he added.
Polls in the eight municipalities are unlikely to be arranged before the national election, although there is a legal obligation for the EC to hold the polls by August and September this year.
The ministry in three letters recently asked the EC to stop the election process in the eight municipalities due to complexities over demarcation of wards and boundary expansion.
The ministry sent the third letter to the commission on Monday requesting it to postpone the elections to Shreepur municipality.
As per the election schedules for the three municipalities, the deadline for submission of nominations is today (Tuesday), while the scrutiny of nomination papers on Wednesday and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is August 22.
Source: UNB Connect
