Staff Correspondent

Elections to Mymnensingh and Cumilla city corporations will be held on Saturday (March 9).

The Election Commission (EC) completed all preparations in this regard.

The voting will start at 8:00 am and continue till 4:00 pm without any break.

Candidates completed their campaigns on Thursday midnight passing busy times going door-to-door of the voters and seeking votes from them.

It is learned that Mymensingh City Corporation will hold a general election while a by-election will be held to Cumilla City Corporation.

The EC said, all necessary measures have been taken to conduct the elections in the two cities in free and fair manners. The members of law enforcers as well as magistrates have been deployed. Monitoring cells have also been formed in cooperation with the representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs and law enforcement agencies. The voting will be suspended if the situation goes out of control.

The ruling Awami League has not officially nominated any candidates for the elections, while the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party is not participating in the polls.

In Mymensingh, incumbent mayor Ekramul Haque Titu, district Awami League president Ehteshamul Alam and district unit AL adviser Sadiqul Haque Khan Milki, former member of Krishak League Rezaul Haque Reza and district unit Jatiya Party joint general secretary Shahidul Islam Swapan Mondal are contesting the mayoral post.

Meanwhile, four people are contesting the post of mayor in the Cumilla city by-election.

Two leaders who were expelled from the BNP, former mayor Monirul Haque Sakku and former leader of Swechchhasebak Dal Nizamuddin Kaiser are taking part the polls while Awami League Cumilla city unit organising secretary Tahsin Bahar and city Awami League adviser Noor-Ur Tanim are contesting the polls.

Earlier, Cumilla city unit Awami League general secretary Arfanul Haque Rifat was elected with the boat symbol as Awami League candidate in the third election of the Cumilla City Corporation on June 15, 2022.

On December 13, 2023, Rifat died under treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.

Earlier, Cumilla city unit Awami League general secretary Arfanul Haque Rifat was elected with the boat symbol as Awami League candidate in the third election of the Cumilla City Corporation on June 15, 2022.

On December 13, 2023, Rifat died under treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.