Zila Parishad Election amidst a boycott by major opposition political parties

63,143 representatives of union parishad, upazila parishad, city corporation and municipality casted their vote in the indirect elections of 61 district council.

Country’s main opposition political parties including Bangladesh National Party (BNP) boycotted this first ever zila parishad (district council) election.

Vote was peacefully conducted between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm on Wednesday 28th December 2016.

A total 146 candidates for the chairman posts, 806 for the reserved members and 2,986 candidates for the general member posts contested the elections.

Although it is a non-partisan balloting, most of the candidates are either blessed by the ruling Bangladesh Awami League or ruling party’s dissidents.

As much as 21 out of 61 chairman posts and all the posts in two districts-Feni and Bhola—went uncontested because of single candidate against each post.

Election to the chairman post in Bogra and Kusthia were suspended for court injunction.

In the rest 38 districts, ruling AL-backed candidates won 25 chairman posts while its dissident candidates won 13 posts.

The BNP has termed indirect zila parishad election nothing but a ‘farce and mockery’ and said it is contradictory to the constitution.