UP polls: voting begins for phase 5

Voting in 717 unions for the fifth phase of Union Parishad (UP) elections has begun on Saturday morning.

The balloting began at about 8am and will continue till 4pm without any break.

Some 3,200 chairman contestants-1,700 from 15 political parties and 1,500 independent ones-are there in the 5th phase election race.

Like the previous four phases, no balloting is required against 42 chairman posts where ruling Awami League candidates have already been elected uncontested in the 5th phase.

More than 80 people died in the last three and a half months, both before and after the votes in four legs, since the announcement of the election schedule.