First phase of staggered elections of union parishads (UP) will begin on April 11, the Election Commission said today.

Nine municipalities will go to polls in the sixth phase on the same day, EC Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandaker told reporters after a commission meeting this evening.

He said that elections in all the municipalities will be conducted using electronic voting machines (EVM).

He also said that a total of 323 UPs will go to election in the first phase. Election schedules will be announced after March 2, following the publication of final voters' list. The 323 UPs are from 63 upazilas of 20 districts.

EVM will be used to conduct elections in 41 UPs while traditional ballots in the rest.

The UP election for chairman post will see direct participation of political parties for the second time this year.

Registered political parties will be able to take part only in chairman elections; non-party candidates will only run for members and reserved women seats.

Of the 4,500 union parishads, more than 4,300 are eligible for polls.

The EC is holding municipality elections in four phases -- December 28, January 16, January 30 and February 14 have already been completed.

Elections to 31 municipalities will be held in the fifth phase on February 28.