Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has asked high officials, including all divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, regional election officers and superintendents of police to ensure free and fair upazila parishad elections at any cost.

CEC has feared chaos and violence in the upcoming Upazila Parishad polls. He said no election-related violence will be tolerate so arrangements should be made so that people can vote safely and return home.

He told this while speaking at programme at the Election Commission Secretariat auditorium in Agargaon in the capital on Thursday.

The CEC said the democracy has been established again through the parliamentary election which was held on January 7. If violence takes place in upazila parishad polls then the continuous process of democracy would be undermined. It has to be proved through a fair election that there is democracy in the country.

The Upazila Parishad elections will proceed in phases, and the first phase will be held in 152 upazilas on May 8.