Mohiuddin Alamgir

The Election Commission is likely to announce the schedule of the next polls either on November 15 or 16.

The chances of appointing Election Commission officials as returning officers are slim as the BNP- and Jamaat-enforced blockades have changed the political scenario which deputy and divisional commissioners should be more adept at dealing with, EC sources said.    

The Election Commission is set to introduce a mobile app today to ensure voters find polls-related information at their fingertips.

Electronic voting machines, first introduced in 2011 in Bangladesh, and touted as a great tool for voters to exercise their franchise, were adopted on a large scale for voting in six constituencies in 2018.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal and four election commissioners are set to meet with President Mohammed Shahabuddin today to discuss whether the election schedule can be announced on November 14 or 15.

The Election Commission may hold the national election any day between January 6 and 9 with many experts pointing out that the atmosphere is not yet conducive to free and fair polls.

More than a third registered political parties, including opposition BNP, boycotted the Election Commission’s talks yesterday. And some of those who joined the dialogue observed that the current situation is not conducive to holding a free and fair election.

A pre-election assessment mission from the Commonwealth will visit Dhaka from November 19-22, ahead of the 12th parliamentary election.

The Election Commission’s move to hold dialogue over preparations for the upcoming general election appears doomed to fall flat, as the BNP and its allies won’t take part in it and the issue of polls-time government remains unresolved, say political analysts.

The Election Commission has written to the BNP and other registered political parties, inviting them to take part in talks that will be held on November 4, said sources.

The Election Commission will sit with all registered political parties ahead of the announcement of the schedule for the upcoming parliamentary polls.

The Election Commission yesterday said it would hold the next national election on time regardless of whether or not the environment is conducive.

Top officials of the law enforcement agencies are in favour of sending ballot papers to the polling stations the day before national elections.

The Election Commission has sent a concept note to the participants of an EC workshop without the knowledge of two election commissioners.

The Election Commission has deferred its scheduled training for top field level administration and police officials due to BNP’s grand rally on October 28.

The Election Commission will hold two meetings with top officials of law enforcement agencies, and secretaries of ministries concerned as it prepares to announce the schedule for the next national election.

The Election Commission says that the expected environment is yet to be created for holding a free, fair, participatory, and festive election, which is less than three months away.

Keeping in mind the possibility of post-polls violence, the Election Commission wants to have the law enforcers deployed for 15 days after the 12th parliamentary election, if needed.

The Election Commission has asked the home ministry to ensure security for the EC’s field-level offices which it expects “to be under threat before the national elections”.

Several police and administration officers told the Election Commission that ballot papers for the 12th national election should be taken to the polling stations on the day before the election day.