Election Commissioner (EC) Md. Anwarul Islam Sarkar announced that the schedule for the upcoming National Parliament Election will be declared in the first week of December, with the polling set to take place in February next year.
The EC made the announcement while responding to a question from journalists at the Patuakhali Circuit House on Friday.
“The Election Commission has already published a detailed action plan for the election. We aim to complete the election before the month of Ramadan,” he stated.
Referendum and PR System Awaited
When questioned about the demand for a referendum, Commissioner Sarkar said, “The issue of whether the referendum will be held before or after the election has not yet come up in the Commission’s discussions. We have also not received any formal information about the government’s preparations. A decision will be announced once it is made.”
Regarding the matter of Proportional Representation (PR), he clarified, “It depends on a political decision. We are waiting for that decision.”
Md. Anwarul Islam Sarkar expressed optimism, saying, “With everyone’s cooperation, we want to hold a free, fair, and credible election.”
Updates on Electoral Preparations
The Election Commissioner also mentioned several initiatives the EC is undertaking:
- Electoral Code of Conduct and the list of electoral symbols have been updated.
- Registration of expatriate voters will begin in November.
- Initiatives are being taken to allow imprisoned voters to exercise their right to vote.
Senior Secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat, Akhtar Ahmed, Patuakhali District Commissioner Dr. Mohammad Shahid Hossain Chowdhury, and other local administration officials were present at the event.
