Dhaka: The deadline for the submission of nomination papers by chairman and member candidates to contest the first phase election in 739 Union Councils (UCs) across the country expired at 5:00pm on Monday.

Most chairman aspirants, including those of major political parties— Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party— filed their nominations on the last day as the parties took time in finalising their candidates for the first phase election slated for 22 March.

Besides, many independent chairman, member and woman member (reserved seat for women) candidates filed nominations on the last day.

The nomination papers will be scrutinised on Tuesday and Wednesday. And the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is 2 March.

On 11 February, the Election Commission announced election schedule for 752 UCs in the first phase. Subsequently, it postponed elections to 13 UCs on various grounds.

The UC chairman post election is going to be held along party line for the first time in the country, while that to member post in non-partisan manner as in the past.

According to the EC Secretariat, a total of 24 registered political parties out of 40 have fielded their candidates to contest the chairman post election at the lowest tier of the local government body.

Earlier in December last year, the elections to mayoral post in the country's municipalities were also held with candidates nominated by political parties.

This time, the Commission has worked out a plan to arrange 4,275 UCs out of the country's 4546 ones in the six phases by June next.

The Commission has also declared schedules for 684 UCs in the second phase fixing ballot on 31 March. And the deadline for the submission of nomination paper in the 684 UCs will expire on 2 March.