Staff Reporter :
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin has said that he considers the upcoming national election as “the last opportunity of his life.” Expressing his determination to deliver a fair and beautiful election to the nation, he said, “This is my last chance. I want to do something for the country.”
He made the remarks on Tuesday during a series of dialogues with election experts at the Election Commission headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka. Other four election commissioners and senior officials of the commission were also present.
The CEC said, “Cooperation from political parties is essential to hold a free and fair election. We want to move forward with everyone’s participation.”
He mentioned that initiatives have been taken to ensure voting rights for expatriates. In addition, arrangements are being made for government employees and detainees to cast their votes through postal ballots.
He further said, “During the voter list update, interest in voting has increased in remote areas. The gap between male and female voters, which was previously three million, has been reduced. We have developed an IT-supported hybrid model for postal ballots, enabling expatriates, government employees, and prisoners to vote.”
The CEC noted that the commission is facing various new challenges, including the misuse of social media and artificial intelligence.
He said, “I am 73 years old. I have nothing more to ask for in life. I have taken this election as my last opportunity. My goal is to deliver a fair and credible election.”
The CEC added, “The thoughtful opinions of experts who have directly worked with elections will help us move forward. Cooperation from all segments of the population is needed in this electoral process.”
The dialogue was attended by former acting secretary of the Election Commission Dr. Mohammad Zakaria; former joint secretaries Khandaker Mizanur Rahman, Md Nuruzzaman Talukder, and Md Shahedunnabi Chowdhury; former deputy secretaries Mihir Sarwar Morshed and Misbah Uddin; former regional election officer Shah Alam; Mahfuza Akhter; Mir Md Shahjahan; and former Jahangirnagar University professor and FEMAR president Munira Khan.
