Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Monday alleged that a festival of capturing polling stations like grabbing char land is going on in the Union Parishad (UP) elections. “The way violence is happening in the UP elections it can’t be accepted in a civilized society…an appalling situation is prevailing in rural areas due to the incidents of killing, attacks and counter-attacks,” he said. GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, came up with the allegation at a views-exchange meeting with the leaders of BPUM, a human rights organisation, at Jatiya Party Chairman's Banani office. He said the people of the country do not want to see such killings and violence in the elections. “There’re also allegations that election results are being changed somewhere.” The Jatiya Party chief said the Election Commission has completely failed to hold the UP elections in a free and fair manner. READ: ‘Entente’ behind transport sector chaos: GM Quader  “Common people are now scared to see the showdown with arms in front of the members of law enforcement agencies,” GM Quader observed. He called upon the Election Commission to take effective steps to ensure that the upcoming elections are held in a free and credible manner with a festive mood. Jatiya Party Presidium Member Fakhrul Imam, Mir Abdus Sabur Asud, Advocate Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan and Office Secretary MA Razzak Khan were, among others, present. READ: Road anarchy over bus fares must be stopped: GM Quader At least eight people were killed and over 100 others injured as the 3rd phase of UP elections were held on Sunday amid sporadic violence and irregularities.

Balloting for the third phase of the union parishad polls is underway across the country on Sunday. The voting started at 8am and will continue till 4pm without any break. More than two crore people will cast their votes at 10,159 polling stations. In the third phase election,569  candidates have already been elected unopposed. Of the uncontested candidates, 100 are in chairman posts, while 132 in reserved seats and 337 in member posts.  READ: UP elections third phase set for Sunday So, the polls will not be required against the chairman posts in the 100 UPs. Apart from the unelected candidates, some 4,500 chairman contestants are running in the election (900 UPs), 11,000 women contestants (for reserved seats) and 34,500 member contestants in the polls. The polls to the UP chairman posts are held in partisan manner, while the election to other posts – reserved seats and members posts- in non-partisan manner. Among the major political parties, Awami League and Jatiya Party are participating in the countrywide staggered UP election, but BNP is refraining to join the local body polls. In the third phase election, the highest 981 chairman candidates are being fielded by AL, while 438 chairman contestants by Islami Andolan Bangladesh, and 187 by Jatiya Party. The electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used in 33 UPs. READ: Law Minister attributes violence during UP elections to personal conflicts Though the Election Commission earlier announced the election schedule for 1,007 UPs, the polls to seven UPs were postponed on different grounds.

Voting for the second phase of the union parishad polls is underway in Bangladesh, with over 41,000 candidates in the fray for different posts. Polling began in 835 of 848 UPs at 8am on Thursday and will continue till 4pm. A total of 81 chairman candidates have already been elected unopposed. Similarly, all contestants -- for chairman and member posts, and reserved seats -- in five UPs were elected uncontested. Read: 2 hacked dead, 10 hurt in Meherpur pre-polls violence Though the Election Commission had earlier announced the second phase poll schedule for 848 UPs, it postponed election in seven UPs and cancelled polling in one. More than 41,000 candidates, including 3,310 contenders for the post of chairman, are contesting in the countrywide second phase UP election. Some 28,747 candidates are contesting for the member posts and 9,161 women for the reserved seats in the UPs. But 203 member candidates and 73 women candidates for reserved seats were elected unopposed in this phase. There are nearly 16.6 million voters -- 8,405,831 men, 8,189,379 women and 16 transgender (Hijra) -- under 8,492 polling stations in these UPs. Read: 4th phase elections to 840 UPs to be held Dec 23 About the recent election violence, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda on Wednesday said that "it is not possible to prevent such incidents by only deploying policemen in every locality". "Tolerance among all people concerned with the election is the only way to check such incidents," he had said.  

The 4th phase elections to 840 Union Parishads in different districts will be held on December 23, according to the schedule announced by the Election Commission. Besides, the elections to three municipalities – Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar, Raipura in Narsingdi and Atghoria in Pabna—will also be held on the same date. As per the election schedules, the deadline for submission of the nomination papers is November 25while the scrutiny date of nomination papers is November 29 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is December 06, said a press release of EC on Wednesday. READ: 204 UP elections:  148 AL chairman candidates win The balloting will be held through the electronic voting machines (EVM) in 33 UPs and all the three municipalities. The 840 UPs include 11 Ups in Panchagarh district, 20 in Thakurgaon, 21 in Dinajpur, 12 each in Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat, 19 in Rangpur, 20 in Kurigram, 18 in Gaibandha, nine in Joypurhat, 13 in Bogura, eight in Chapainawabganj, 26 in Naogaon, 15 in Rajshahi,   12 in Natore, 21 in Sirajganj, 19 in Pabna, 20 in Kushtia, four in Chuadanga, 15 in Jhenaidah, eight each in Jashore and Magura, 12 in Narail, one in Khulna, 10 in Satkhira, seven in Patuakhali, eight in Bhola, four in Barishal, 14 in Jamalpur, nine in Sherpur, 20 in Mymensingh, 11 in Netrakona, 21 in Tangail, 22 in Kishoreganj. READ: UP elections: Voting underway in 160 union parishads, 9 municipalities The rest UPs are 16 in Manikganj, 23 in Munshiganj, two in Gazipur, 11 in Narsingdi, 12 in Narayanganj, 14 in Rajbari, 13 in Faridpur, 15 in Gopalganj, nine in Madaripur, 19 in Shariatpur, 21 each in Sunamganj and Sylhet, 20 in Moulvibazar and Habiganj, 15 in Brahmanbaria, 26 in Cumilla, 23 in Chandpur, 15 in Feni, 16 in Noakhali, 15 in Laxmipur, 27 in Chattogram, nine in Cox’s Bazar, eight in Khagrachhari, 10 each in Rangamati and Bandarban districts.

As many as 15 people were injured, five of them with bullet wounds, when supporters of two rival candidates for the upcoming Hatkhali Union Parishad election allegedly clashed in Barbhagia village of Pabna Thursday night. Police, however, claimed on Friday that it was actually a clash between two families in the village under Sujanagar upazila over an unapproved love affair. Those who sustained bullet injuries have been identified as Azhar Ali Molla, 65, Azgar Ali Molla, 60, Khairul Islam, 40, Rehena Khatun, 35, and Jubayer Hossain. Four of them have been shifted to Pabna General Hospital from the upazila health complex. Also read: Chattogram: Two killed in clash over boundary wall dispute Firoz Ahmed Khan, the organisational secretary of the upazila Krishak League, an associate outfit of the Awami League, told UNB that the members of the ruling party had been attacking rival candidates for the UP election since October 26, the last day of withdrawing nominations. Firoz is contesting the UP election for the chairman's post as an independent, while Abdur Rauf is the ruling party candidate. "Around 8.30pm on Thursday, a gang of miscreants owing allegiance to Abdur, went on a vandalism spree in Barbhagia village, attacking residents and damaging houses as well as the election office in Nuruddin Bazar. Some of the miscreants fired at my supporters," Firoz claimed. Also read: 1 killed, 4 injured in clash over a road accident in Sunamganj Abdur, however, refuted the allegations, claiming it was a clash between the Bishwash and Molla community in the village over a love affair. "Firoz is trying to exploit the situation,” he said. Officer-in-charge of Sujanagar police station Mizanur Rahman also said it was not a UP poll-related violence, "but rather a love affair related clash between two groups owing allegiance to Firoz". “Currently the situation is under control. A heavy police force has been deployed in the village," he said. "We will initiate legal action, post-filing of a complaint."