Bangladesh Election Schedule in Early December, Voting Set for February
Election Commissioner (EC) Md. Anwarul Islam has announced that the schedule for the next National Parliamentary Election will be declared in the first week of December, with voting to take place in February. He shared this information while speaking with journalists at the Patuakhali Circuit House on Friday.
Anwarul Islam stated: “We want to complete the election before Ramadan in February. Our action plan has already been published. The schedule will be announced in the first part of December.”
Commission Preparations and Updates
The Election Commissioner provided updates on the Commission’s ongoing preparations:
• The Election Commission has already updated the rules and regulations.
• The list of electoral symbols has been updated and revised.
• Voter registration for expatriate voters will commence from November.
• New arrangements are being made to ensure the voting rights of incarcerated individuals.
Referendum and PR System
When asked whether a referendum would precede or follow the election, Anwarul Islam clarified:
“It has not yet come up for discussion. How the government is preparing for it has also not reached the Commission. The media will be informed once a decision is made.”
Regarding the question of the Proportional Representation (PR) system, he reiterated that it is entirely a political decision, and the Commission is awaiting the political leadership’s decision.
He concluded by saying, “With the cooperation of your media, we want to deliver a fair, peaceful, and beautiful election before February.”
Senior Secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat Akhtar Ahmed, Patuakhali Deputy Commissioner Dr. Mohammad Shahid Hossain Chowdhury, and other officials from the local administration were present during the discussion.
Following the media exchange, Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam departed to attend a workshop in Kuakata.
