Presidential poll scheduled for August 20: EC

The Election Commission (EC) has announced that the presidential election will be held on August 20, with voting scheduled from 2:00pm to 5:00pm.

EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed announced the election schedule on Thursday at the commission’s headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka.

According to the schedule, candidates will have to submit nomination papers on August 13 between 10:00am and 4:00pm. The scrutiny of nomination papers will begin at 10:00am on August 16 and continue until completion.

Akhtar said the schedule was announced in line with the Presidential Election Act, 1991, following consultations between the Chief Election Commissioner and the Speaker of Parliament.

He said the EC had received the electoral roll containing the names of 349 members of parliament from the Parliament Secretariat for the presidential election.

The commission held a meeting to finalise preparations for the election, and the remaining administrative procedures will be completed according to the announced schedule, the EC senior secretary added.