Govt directs EC to hold referendum with polls: Dual tasks ‘major challenge but inevitable’: CEC

Staff Reporter :

The Election Commission has been instructed to organise a nationwide referendum on the same day as Bangladesh’s upcoming 13th parliamentary election, a move officials say will significantly raise the logistical and administrative stakes for the polls.

EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed confirmed on Thursday that the Cabinet Division has formally issued a letter directing the commission to begin preparations for the unprecedented dual exercise.

Speaking at an event in Dhaka, the secretary said the letter arrived on Thursday and outlined the government’s decision to assign the responsibility of holding the referendum entirely to the Election Commission.

“The Cabinet Division sent the letter to the commission, directing it to begin necessary preparations for holding a referendum,” Akhtar said. “The government wants the referendum and the election to be arranged on the same day.”

The instruction follows an announcement made on 13 November by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, who had previously signalled the interim government’s intention to hold the referendum concurrently with the parliamentary polls as part of what he described as a crucial phase in the country’s democratic transition.

At a separate programme in the capital, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin acknowledged that holding two nationwide voting processes on the same day would be “a major challenge,” even as preparations for the national election are already underway.

Nasir said the commission cannot begin any referendum-related preparations until the relevant law is enacted, noting that the government’s law adviser has indicated that an ordinance is expected within the next two to three days.

“Whatever the challenges, the EC will hold the referendum and the national election on the same day.

We have no option but to move forward,” the CEC said at the closing session of a workshop organised by the Asian Network for Free Elections.

He stressed that once the referendum law is adopted, the commission would initiate its preparations and assess what additional mechanisms will be required.

The referendum, he added, is expected to pose a straightforward ‘yes/no’ vote on four key points, should the ordinance be finalised as planned.

Nasir also said holding the two processes simultaneously would require separate ballot papers and distinct logistical arrangements across thousands of polling stations, adding new layers to an already high-pressure electoral cycle.

The CEC confirmed that the commission has indeed received the government’s letter setting the dual mandate.

However, he reiterated that without a legal framework in place, the EC cannot act beyond its current election preparations. He expressed hope that the law would be passed next week, enabling the commission to move ahead.

Beyond the referendum issue, Nasir provided updates on the EC’s ongoing technical work. He said around 21 lakh deceased voters have been removed from the updated voter list following extensive verification.

“In the past, many voted using the names of deceased individuals. An accurate voter list is crucial for a credible election,” he said.

The CEC also warned that combating AI-generated misinformation circulating on social media will pose difficulties during the upcoming polls, describing the broader political environment as one lacking the compromise and cooperation that would make the commission’s work easier.

Addressing questions on postal voting, he clarified that passports alone cannot be used without proper verification, citing past instances in which foreign nationals used Bangladeshi passports abroad. “Verification is essential,” he emphasised.

Earlier in the day, Secretary Akhtar Ahmed echoed the CEC’s remarks, confirming that the government has directed the commission to hold both the referendum and the parliamentary polls on the same day.

He added that the commission will deliberate on the referendum once the legal directive is formally in place.

“Once we are formally informed, we will sit together at the commission, discuss the matter, and then share our opinion,” he said.

For now, the EC continues its preparations for the 13th national election while awaiting the legal framework that will determine how the country’s first referendum in decades will be conducted — and how both exercises will unfold side by side on election day.