With polls to the city corporations in North and South Dhaka and the port city of Chittagong due on Tuesday, the Election Commission (EC) has started reaching polling materials to presiding officers.
EC officials informed that materials are being distributing from 16 points of the Dhaka North and South city corporations.
Police are escorting the ballot boxes and papers, stamps and other equipment sent to 1,982 voting centres of the two city corporations.
“Our officials have started distributing materials after 10am on Monday,” Dhaka South’s Returning Officer Mihir Sarwar Morshed told bdnews24.com.
The materials are being handed to the presiding officers of the polling stations, who will spend the night there, he said.
On security concerns, Morshed said:”The police and RAB will give all sorts of cooperation. The army has been kept as a reserve force. We will seek their help if needed.”
Dhaka North’s Returning Officer Md Shah Alam said they were distributing poll material from 12 points.
“The equipment escorted by law enforcers and officials will reach the voting centres by Monday evening,” he said.
Election officials in Chittagong are also busy distributing materials for the 719 polling stations.
Presiding officers have gathered at the gymnasium of the port city’s MA Aziz Stadium for boxes, ballots and other necessary equipment, said Assistant Returning Office Shafiqur Rahman.
A total of 1,870,753 voters in Dhaka South, 2,345,374 in Dhaka North and 1,813,449 in Chittagong are expected to vote on Tuesday to elect mayors and councillors.
Voting will start at 8am and end at 4pm.
Tuesday has been declared as a public holiday in the three city corporations.
Source: Bd news24