Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain Saturday said Upazila Parishad elections would not be held after national polls anyway, reports UNB.

He says they want to remain as hero, not zero, in the history of Bangladesh completing their electoral task through holding the elections timely. "The upazila elections won''t be held after national elections.

When time will come, you''ll see whether the elections will be held before the national elections or simultaneously," Sakhawat told a views-exchange meeting at Titas upazila Parishad of the district. Chaired by Upazila Nirbahi Officer AHM Abdul Karim, the meeting was arranged to mark the activities of voter list plus photograph and national identity card distribution.

The Election Commission''s (EC) main objective is to hold the national elections and it is advancing to that end, he said, adding that the stalled national elections would definitely be held by December next.

"It''s not only a promise to the nation but also to the international community… We want to be hero, not zero, in the history of Bangladesh," the Election Commissioner emphatically said. He said some 18 to 19 percent less voters would be counted this time across the country since there is no scope for enrolling name more than once on the photo voter list. So, Sakhawat said, around one crore voters would be reduced on the voter list compared to the past voter list and the field-level task of preparing voter list would be completed by June next.

"All the local-body elections will be held in phases. We''re waiting for the electoral law. There will be a lot of reforms in selecting candidates and electoral code of conduct when the law, which is now in the making, will be approved," he told his audience.

The Election Commissioner pointed out that there is pressure on the EC for holding elections without symbol and said that it is not possible to implement such a proposal due to the political and electoral culture of the country. "Cast your vote not considering the symbol, but considering the qualified candidate," he requested people.

Deputy Election Commissioner of greater Comilla and Noakhali Anwar Hossain, additional district commissioner (education and development) Aminul Islam, district election officer Shahedulla Chowdhury and Major Jahangir Nasir of 16 East Bengal regiment also spoke at the programme.

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