The BNP is most likely to stay in the Union Parishad polls, as senior party leaders are against quitting the race.

At least 58 people, including six women, were injured and 45 houses and shops, some of them belonging to Hindus, were vandalised

At least eight people are killed and many others injured in seven districts during violence in the second phase of union parishad elections.

The second phase of the Union Parishad (UP) elections began this morning as 639 unions of 47 districts go to polls. Over 1.12 crore voters will be eligible to exercise their vote under nearly 6,200 polling stations. Follow The Daily Star’s Twitter account for live updates @dailystarnews.

The second phase of the Union Parishad (UP) elections in 639 unions of 47 districts ended this afternoon. The UP polls are held on partisan lines for the first time.

Civil society platform Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) slams the Election Commission and claims the union parishad polls were “perverted”.

Awami League-backed chairman candidates won elections in 356 union parishads while contestants from its arch rival BNP’s camp won in 30.

Widespread violence left at least 10 people dead and around a thousand others wounded in the first phase of union parishads elections yesterday. The festive mood of the polls to the lowest tier of local government was largely marred by electoral irregularities and incidents of clashes between supporters of rival candidates.

The first phase of the Union Parishad (UP) elections begins, marking the start of the country's maiden UP-level polls on partisan lines. Two people are injured in Satkhira and voting remains suspended in 11 polling centres in Satkhira, Barisal and Patuakhali so far.

CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed says the first phase of union parishad elections are held in a free, fair and peaceful manner except some isolated incidents of irregularities.

The first phase of the Union Parishad (UP) elections begins, marking the start of the country's maiden UP-level polls on partisan lines.

Six people including the mayor and rebel candidate of Awami League were injured in Jhalakati Sadar upazila amid the ongoing municipal elections, being held in nine districts.

Bangladesh returned to democracy in 1991 and since then the country has been ruled by two female leaders. In between, there had been around three years of interim periods, basically to hold elections. Bangladesh is also a rare country in the world where the two largest political parties are being led by two women for over the last three decades.

The BNP could not nominate anyone within the deadline yesterday for contesting the chairman posts in at least 25 Union Parishads in the second phase of elections for a lack of interest among its grassroots.

Ahead of the party's sixth national council, the BNP yesterday announced the schedule for elections to its top two posts -- chairperson and senior vice-chairman.

Elections to 752 union parishads, the biggest grassroots-level polls, will be held on March 22 on partisan lines for the first time.

The ruling Awami League wins in four municipalities while its arch rival BNP bags three mayoral posts in the elections to the local government bodies which were suspended due to violence and irregularities.

No elections in a democratic world are perfect, be it in a liberal or an emerging democracy.

The month of January has come again, starting a new year with new hopes and new promises. But it makes no difference to those stuck in a circle of pain, sorrow and uncertainties resulted from the unprecedented violence last year.

"Less than an hour after the voting began, some seven to eight ruling party men stormed the booth I was assigned to. Identifying themselves as Chhatra League and Jubo League activists, they tried to take the ballots away from me."