Canada supports free and fair elections

Staff Reporter :

The Election Commission has started distributing ballot papers containing candidate names and symbols to returning officers across the country ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election and referendum.

According to EC officials, ballot papers were sent to 21 districts over two days, on Sunday and Monday, from the Election Commission Secretariat in Agargaon in the capital.

In the first phase on Sunday, ballot papers were dispatched to 13 districts: Meherpur, Kushtia, Chuadanga, Jhenaidah, Bagerhat, Moulvibazar, Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Lakshmipur, Bandarban, Khagrachhari, and Rangamati.

In the second phase on Monday, ballot papers were sent to eight more districts: Habiganj, Chapainawabganj, Gazipur, Munshiganj, Barishal, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, and Barguna.

The EC said ballot papers and other election materials are being transported from Dhaka in phases under strict security.

These will be stored at returning officers’ offices and delivered to polling centres a day before voting.
For holding the parliamentary election and referendum on the same day, around 260 million ballot papers are being printed at a cost of Tk 400 million.

As per the election schedule, uninterrupted voting will take place nationwide on February 12.
Law enforcement agencies have already begun deployment to ensure security and a peaceful voting environment.