Senior Secretary of the Election Commission (EC), Akhtar Ahmed, hoped on Tuesday that the EC would be able to prepare the final voter list by December 5, saying that work is going on in full swing to this end.
“Now we started preparing the voter list. I think, if everything goes well, the voter list would be completed by December 5,” he said while briefing media at the Foreign Service Academy on Tuesday afternoon on the preparations of the EC to conduct the upcoming national election and the referendum.
Law Adviser Asif Nazrul and Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam also spoke at the briefing.
Noting that essential election materials and logistics have already been secured and will be gradually dispatched across the country to avoid last-minute pressure, Akhtar said the EC received adequate stocks of ballot boxes, locks, seals, indelible ink and other required items.
“The last stock we received is now in our possession, and we will gradually distribute these supplies so that there is no pressure at the last moment,” he said, adding, Distribution will take place through the Commission’s 10 zonal offices, reaching district and upazila levels well ahead of polling.
Noting that the Government Printing Press has confirmed the availability of sufficient paper to print two types of ballots, as required for the simultaneously held national election and referendum, the EC secretary said, “Traditionally, parliamentary ballots are printed with black text on white base paper. For the referendum, we will use coloured paper.”
For the first time in Bangladesh’s history, expatriates will be able to vote through postal ballots, he said.
In-country postal ballots will also be available for government employees working outside their constituencies, officials on election duty and people in legal custody, Akhtar added.
Noting that overseas voter registration has already begun in three regional clusters and gradually will begin across eight, he said they are getting encouraging responses from the expatriates. So far, 31,801 expatriates have already registered for postal voting.
“We launched the app within a very short time, so we are progressing gradually,” the EC secretary said, adding, The expatriates will receive both ballot papers – the national election ballot and the referendum ballot – in the same envelope, but they will be separated during counting due to the different coloured papers.
The EC has completed training for the Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs), he said, adding they are now giving training to the presiding officers, assistant presiding officers, and polling officers who will manage polling centres for both the election and the referendum.
“We believe we will be able to complete all preparations on time. In terms of preparation, we are on time and in line,” Akhtar said, adding, “And we hope we will be able to implement it properly to present beautiful elections in February.”
Speaking on the occasion, Professor Asif Nazrul said the country will witness two historic moments in its history – one is postal voting for overseas Bangladeshis, and the second one is holding the national election and the referendum on the same day.
“This is a major challenge for us. But the enthusiasms we are seeing among voters and political parties and the positive coverage by the media give us confidence. I hope, Insha Allah, together we will successfully manage both challenges and present a smooth election in February.”
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