The Election Commission on Sunday announced the schedule for elections to 25 municipalities setting December 28 as the polling date.

The elections to the municipalities will be held using electronic voting machines, said EC secretary M Alamgir at a press conference at his office.

He said that out of 329 municipalities in the country, elections to 259 municipalities would be held in five phases starting on December 28, when 25 municipalities will go to the polls.

According to the schedule, the last date for filing nomination papers is December 1 and the last date for withdrawing nomination papers is December 10. 

The 25 municipalities are Panchagarh sadar, Pirganj of Thakurgaon, Fulbari of Dinajpur, Badarganj of Rangpur, Kurigram sadar, Puthia of Rajshahi, Shahajadpur of Sirajganj, Chatmohor of Pabna, Khoksa of Kustia, Chuadanga sadar, Chalna of Khulna, Betagi of Barguna, Kuakata of Patuakhali, Ujirpur and Bakerganj of Barishal, Gafargaon of Mymensingh, Madan of Netrokona, Manikganj sadar, Dhamrai of Dhaka, Sreepur of Gazipur, Derai of Sunamganj, Barlekha of Moulvibazar, Shayestaganj of Habiganj and Sitakunda of Chattogram.

The EC secretary said that the elections to rest of the municipalities will be held by May.

According to EC officials, 259 municipalities would be eligible for elections by May 2021 as the commission last held elections to the municipalities on December 30, 2015 and most of the elected mayors took oaths in January 2016.

According to the local government laws, elections should be held before 90 days of expiry of the tenure of the elected body of a municipality.

In the elections, mayor candidates will participate with party symbols as the polls to the posts will be partisan.