Staff Correspondent

The first phase of the sixth upazila parishad elections will be held in 152 upazilas on 8 May.

Besides, the second phase will be held on 23 May, the third phase on 29 May, and the fourth phase on 5 June.

The Election Commission (EC) announced the schedule after a meeting presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal at Nirbachan Bhaban in Dhaka on Thursday.

At a press conference after the meeting, EC Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath said for the first phase polls, the deadline for the submission of nomination papers is 15 April, scrutinisation of the nomination forms will be held on 17 April, and the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is 22 April.

The elections will be conducted using electronic voting machines (EVMs) in 22 upazilas, while ballot papers will be used for voting in the rest of the upazilas, he said.

Candidates can contest the elections independently while political parties also can nominate their aspirants for the purpose, Ashok added.

On Tuesday, the Election Commission published gazettes after amending election operation rules and the code of conduct for candidates.

The commission scrapped the provision on the submission of voters’ signatures required to contest chairman posts independently.

It fixed a security deposit of Tk1 lakh for the chairman post, Tk75,000 for the vice-chairman, and Tk5,000 for female member candidates.

According to the revised rules, candidates must secure 15% of the casting votes to protect their security deposit, whereas previously it was one-eighth.

Besides, candidates are permitted to conduct campaigns in coloured posters and banners in addition to black and white ones.