National polls to be announced in Nov 2nd week

Staff Reporter :
The Election Commission (EC) will hold a meeting on November 1 with the aim of announcing the schedule.

Representatives of various ministries including foreign affairs, information, education and defence will participate in it. The meeting will discuss the ‘final’ date of the election.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal will preside over the meeting, an EC official said.

On the other hand, the EC will hold another meeting on Oct 30 to decide what to do to maintain law and order during the parliamentary elections.

Principal Staff Officer of Armed Forces, IG of Police, RAB, BGB, Ansar and VDP, Director General of Coast Guard, NSI and DGFI, Additional Inspector General of Police, SB and Senior Secretary of Home Ministry have been asked to attend the meeting.

The EC has already sent letters to the offices concerned.

It will be a crucial election for Bangladesh, closely watched by the US and its Western allies. The Awami League, headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is seeking a fourth consecutive term in office.

Meanwhile, the BNP, which has been on the streets pressing for a caretaker administration, has refused to contest polls under the incumbent administration and the current Election Commission, arguing that balloting will be rigged.

Both the leading parties seem unwilling to sit for talks and are unyielding in their demands.

A total of 11, 91, 51,440 voters are in the country.