The Election Commission (EC) has finally rescheduled the polls after being forced to postpone an earlier date in March, as the country went into the pandemic-induced lockdown just days before voting was set to take place in the Port City. The mayor's seat fell empty in August and since then the city has been run by an administrator.
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EC Senior Secretary Md Alamgir announced the new date on Monday, saying voting will be carried out through electronic voting machines (EVMs) from 8am to 4pm.
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There is no scope for new candidates to enter the race, except for the mayor's race, and in the wards where candidates have died, the EC senior secretary said. “Also, nomination papers can be submitted in reserved wards till December 30.”
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In the postponed polls that were set to be held last March 29, City Awami League Senior Joint General Secretary M Rezaul Karim Chowdhury was going to contest the election after getting his party nomination ahead of AJM Nasiruddin, who was elected to a 5-year term in 2015.
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On the other hand, Shahadat Hossain, president of BNP’s city committee, was nominated by the opposition party.
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