EC to review UP poll schedule
Before finalising the election schedule, the Election Commission will review the schedule for holding the Union Parishad elections in phases, Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah said.
“We will review the proposals received from various relevant ministries and agencies before finalising the schedule for the Union Parishad elections. However, everyone has agreed to complete the elections by June 6 of next year,” he made the remarks while briefing reporters after an inter-ministerial preparatory meeting on a parliamentary by-election and local government elections at the Election Building of Agargaon area in the capital on Thursday.
Sanaullah said the EC received a number of requests from the participants regarding the timing of the elections.
They requested us to consider that the annual examinations in schools will be held throughout November and December next, he said.
The Commissioner said the EC would have some scope in January to arrange the local government elections and another window between the SSC and HSC examinations. He said the SSC examinations will be held after Ramadan, while the HSC examinations will be held after June 6.
Regarding the tentative dates announced on Monday for the seven-phase UP elections, Sanaullah said, “We earlier said we will finalise the schedule after the September 17 meeting.”
Four election commissioners-Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Tahmida Ahmad, Anwarul Islam Sarker and Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah-and EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed were present at the meeting.
The Thakurgaon-1 by-election is scheduled to be held on October 29.
On Monday, the EC announced tentative dates for holding the countrywide Union Parishad elections in seven phases with the first phase planned for November 12.
However, two ministers and the Prime Minister’s Advisers on Tuesday said the government was unaware of the tentative dates before the EC announced them.
The meeting began at 2:30pm with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin in the chair.
Senior representatives from more than 20 ministries and divisions, including the Armed Forces Division, law enforcement and intelligence agencies attended the meeting.
