Election schedule by 11 Dec : EC
Staff Reporter :
EC considering one-hour extension to voting period for polls, referendum
The Election Commission (EC) will announce the schedule for the 13th national parliamentary election by 11 December, Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar said on Tuesday.
“We will declare the election schedule by 11 December, and the national polls will most likely take place in the second week of February,” Anwarul told journalists.
Earlier in the day, he said the schedule may be released any day after a key commission meeting scheduled for Sunday. “We have completed all preparations for the election.
The exact date for announcing the schedule will be finalised at the next commission meeting,” he added.
The EC had earlier stated that the election must be held in the first half of February, before Ramadan begins.
The timing of the next national election has long been a major topic of discussion among political parties and the general public. EC officials say preliminary preparations for the polls are already underway.
Once announced, the election schedule will formally kick off the electoral process, enabling candidates to submit nomination papers, go through scrutiny, withdraw their candidacies, and receive their election symbols.
The specific polling date will also be confirmed through the schedule.
Anwarul’s remarks indicate that the EC is in the final stage of preparations and the poll date will be confirmed soon.
As part of its readiness for both the general election and the referendum, the EC conducted a mock voting exercise in the capital on Saturday.
EC may extend voting time by one hour The Election Commission is considering extending polling hours by one hour for the upcoming national election and the referendum.
According to EC officials, both events are expected to take place between 8 and 14 February. If the referendum and election are held on the same day, a longer voting period may be required.
The commission is therefore examining whether the usual voting time-8am to 4pm-should be expanded to 7:30am to 4:30pm.
Speaking about the proposal, Commissioner Anwarul said the issue is under review and a final decision will be made at Sunday’s commission meeting. The proposal was also discussed earlier this week at a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, attended by secretaries of several ministries and departments.
Officials recommended extending polling hours to facilitate smooth counting of both referendum and election ballots. The EC is also planning to install at least two secret stamping booths in every polling centre to accelerate the voting process.