Khulna, Gazipur city polls schedules on March 31

The Election Commission (EC) will announce the election schedules for Khulna and Gazipur city corporations on March 31.

EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed told reporters that the EC took the decision at a meeting on Monday.

The five-year tenure of Gazipur City Corporation will end on September 4 while that of Khulna on September 25.

The EC has a legal obligation to complete the election to Gazipur between March 8 and September 4 and that to Khulna between March 30 and September 25 next.

The EC Secretary said the Commission meeting discussed elections to five cities -- Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet and Gazipur -- and decided to arrange elections to the cities following the dates of the maiden meetings of elected representatives of those cities.

According to UNB, he said the EC will declare polls schedules for Gazipur and Khulna cities taking the final decision in this regard on March 31.

Helaluddin, however, said the EC may not announce election schedule for three remaining city corporations -- Rajshahi, Barisal and Sylhet -- on March 31.

He also said the meeting discussed the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). "EVMs will now be used in different local government elections and those can be used in the national election later if the voters have confidence in it," he said.