DHAKA, 27 December 2020, (TON): Residents in 24 municipalities across Bangladesh will go to the polls using electronic voting machines (EVM) on Monday to cast their ballots in the first phase of the country's municipal elections amid coronavirus pandemic.

Residents of using electronic voting machines (EVM) will cast ballots using electronic voting machines (EVM) from 8 am to 4 pm. The main contesters are candidates from the ruling Awami League and the the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), however, candidates from Jatiya Party, Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party will participate. Independent candidates are also taking part in the election.

Besides the judiciary, the elections will be monitored by law enforcement agencies including Police , Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and the Ansar Paramilitary Auxiliary Force.

More than 1,000 candidates are contesting for the posts of mayor and councillor in the first phase. In the second phase of voting candidates would compete on 16 January in 61 municipalities.