The country鈥檚 87 upazilas will go for elections today amid fears of violence, intimidation, and low voter turnout in the third phase of the upazila election.
Below 40 per cent of votes were cast in the first phase and second phases of the 6th upazila election held on May 8 and May 21, respectively, as most opposition parties, including the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, boycotted the polls.
Election Commission addition secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath told reporters on Tuesday that all preparations for the third phase of the elections had been completed.
The official campaign ended on Monday at midnight.
Although polling was scheduled in 109 upazilas in this phase, due to Cyclone Remal, the Election Commission postponed the polling of 19 upazilas on Monday and three more on Tuesday.
As a result, voting will be held in 87 upazilas today.
Taxi cabs, pickups, microbuses, and trucks will be banned from midnight on May 28 to midnight on May 29, said the EC.
The EC also banned the movement of motorcycles for three days in the upazilas that would vote today.
BGB, police, and other law enforcers have been deployed to control the polling environment, the official said, adding that judicial magistrates are in the field to conduct a summary trial regarding election crimes.
A total of 300 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh have been deployed across the country to maintain law and order during the third phase of the sixth upazila parishad election.
BGB will work as a mobile and striking force to maintain law and order in the electoral areas from May 27 to May 31.
During the second phase of the upazila election, 457 BGB platoons were deployed, and in the first phase, a total of 418 platoons were deployed.