Polls schedule to be announced today
Staff Reporter :
The Election Commission is set to announce the schedule for Bangladesh’s 13th national election and the upcoming referendum on the July National Charter at 6pm on Thursday, marking a decisive step toward a political calendar that has been the subject of intense anticipation in recent weeks.
Senior Secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat Akhtar Ahmed confirmed the development on Wednesday evening after the recording of Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin’s address for Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar.
The CEC’s speech, recorded earlier in the afternoon at his office in the capital’s Nirbachan Bhaban, will be aired nationwide today in the evening.
Speaking to reporters, Akhtar Ahmed said the CEC will deliver a recorded address to the nation, during which he will formally unveil the schedule for the national polls.
The announcement is expected to shape the political landscape in the coming weeks, as parties adjust their strategies around the official polling timetable.
Responding to questions about the pending High Court verdict on demarcation disputes in Bagerhat and Gazipur, the senior secretary said the EC is aware of the developments but is awaiting the certified copy of the judgment.
He noted that the Commission will take the necessary decision once the documents are received.
As of Wednesday, the plan remains to announce the election schedule for all 300 constituencies.
Akhtar Ahmed said no court order has yet reached the Commission and added that if any correction becomes necessary after receiving the certified verdict, the EC will make adjustments accordingly.
When asked about reports that the court upheld four constituencies in Bagerhat and five in Gazipur, he declined to comment, reiterating that no official copy of the order has reached the Commission.
“Since the order is not in our hands, it is better not to comment on it,” he said.
“I repeat, on Thursday at 6pm, the Chief Election Commissioner will announce the election schedule in his address to the nation.”
The formal declaration on Thursday is expected to trigger the countdown to a national vote that will be closely watched both domestically and abroad, as Bangladesh prepares for a new phase in its post-uprising political transition.