Mymensingh, Cumilla cities go to polls

Voting has begun for over 200 local government positions, including representatives for the cities of Mymensingh and Cumilla and six municipalities, two months after the general election.

Polling began at 8am on Saturday and will continue without any interruptions until 4pm, reports bdnews24.com.

The election marks the second for Mymensingh City Corporation while Cumilla city is holding a by-poll for the mayor's post.

Additionally, voting is taking place in Patuakhali Municipality in Patuakhali District, Bakshiganj Municipality in Jamalpur District, and Amtali Municipality in Barguna District.

By-elections for the mayor's position are also being held in Mymensingh's Trishal Municipality, Munshiganj Municipality, and Bogura's Shivganj Municipality.

In total, 233 positions across various levels of local government, including city corporations, district councils, municipal councils, and union councils, are up for grabs on Saturday.

Shariful Alam, an Election Commission spokesman, noted that voting in municipalities, district councils, and city corporations is being conducted through electronic voting machines, while the remaining elections are utilising traditional ballot papers.

The 12th parliamentary elections, which took place on Jan 7, saw a boycott from a third of the registered political parties in the country, with the EC reporting a 42 percent voter turnout.

As the first significant wave of local government voting since the national vote, observers are keeping a keen eye on the turnout in this round of elections.

One of the main talking points in the lead-up to the local government elections was the Awami League's decision not to issue party nominations or symbols.

Consequently, four out of five mayoral candidates in Mymensingh are affiliated with the Awami League, alongside a Jatiya Party candidate, who is the sole participant running under a party symbol.

In Cumilla, two candidates have ties to the ruling Awami League, with two expelled BNP leaders running as independents, leaving no candidate with a party symbol.

For security, 16-member law enforcement units have been assigned to general polling centres, while 17-strong teams are deployed at high-risk centres.

"We've taken necessary measures to ensure law and order, deploying additional forces and magistrates where needed," Election Commissioner Md Alamgir said.