First phase campaign ends tonight

A three-week electoral campaign for the first phase Union Parishad (UP) polls will end tonight as per the Election Commission's prohibition on all sorts of public meetings and campaign in electoral areas 32 hours before the start of the polls.

Motorcycle movement has already been barred in such areas since 12:01am today and movement of engine-run vehicles will remain banned since 12:01am on Tuesday.

Besides, outsiders must leave electoral areas by 6:00am on Monday, according to electoral rules.

Voting to around 732 UPs will start at 8:00am on Tuesday and continue till 4:00pm uninterruptedly in the first phase.

Elections to around 643 UPs will be held on March 31 in the second phase, around 681 UPs on April 23 in the third phase and around 2,200 more UPs will go to polls in three other phases till June.

Meanwhile, ruling Awami League has expelled its activists in some districts for violating party discipline. Besides, some candidates have been obstructed by other candidates in some UPs, report our correspondents.

In Munshiganj, AL yesterday expelled three party men for contesting the polls as rebel candidates in different UPs under Sreenagar upazila.

Besides, a mobile court yesterday fined two persons in Rarikhal union under the upazila for violating electoral code.

In Patuakhali, AL on Thursday expelled seven party men for contesting as rebel chairman candidates and five other activists for violating party's decision in Galachipa upazila.

There were 16 AL rebel candidates in 12 UPs that will go to the polls on Tuesday in the upazila. Earlier on March 8, the upazila unit of AL issued show cause notices to all of them. Later, nine of them withdrew candidatures. Finally, the remaining seven, who did not withdraw candidacies, were expelled.

In Pirojpur, independent chairman candidates, and those, who are nominated by different other political parties, alleged that they were obstructed and threatened by AL and Jatiya Party (JP-Manju) men in different UPs under Mathbaria, Nesarabad, and Kawkhali upazilas.

On the other hand, AL-nominated candidates alleged that AL rebel candidates obstructed them from conducting campaigns in Sarengkathi union of Nesarabad upazila, and Sakharikathi and Malikhali unions under Nazirpur upazila.

Besides, unidentified miscreants set fire to an election booth of AL-nominated chairman candidate in Kawlakhali union under Pirojpur sadar upazila yesterday.

In Sylhet, some 50 polling stations out of 95 in 8 UPs of Sadar upazila that will go to polls on Tuesday are vulnerable. Additional law enforcers will be deployed there, said Rahmat Ullah, additional deputy commissioner (media) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP).