CEC to talk with political parties in November

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin plans to hold talks with political parties by November to discuss the upcoming local government elections, aiming to maintain the standards of the national election and improve them where possible.

“We want to build a culture in which all future elections are held to the same standards,” he told Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) in an exclusive interview.

The Election Commission is also planning to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at every union parishad (UP) polling station to prevent violence and irregularities, he said.

The CEC said the commission’s responsibility would not end with holding a single credible election. Maintaining the same standards in future elections would require cooperation from all stakeholders.

He said the commission was working without pressure from any quarter and had instructed its officials to perform their duties professionally and impartially. Cooperation from candidates would also be essential to ensure a fair election. Although local government elections are not held under party symbols, political parties may still support candidates, making their cooperation important, Nasir Uddin said.

“Free and fair elections are essential for a functioning democracy. Electoral fraud makes genuine democracy impossible,” he said.

CCTV and body cameras planned for UP polls Identifying violence as a major challenge in union parishad elections, the CEC said past experience showed that such polls had often seen violence and loss of life.

The commission plans to strictly enforce the electoral code of conduct and increase surveillance at polling stations considered vulnerable to irregularities.

Alongside CCTV cameras at every polling station, members of law enforcement agencies will also wear body cameras, he said.

The commission would not show leniency in enforcing the code of conduct, Nasir Uddin said. Complaints would be addressed promptly through executive and judicial magistrates and election inquiry committees.

Local government polls may take up to a year Completing elections to all local government institutions across the country could take around 10 months to a year, the CEC said.

The commission plans to hold union parishad elections first, followed by municipal polls. The schedule will take into account the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations and the possibility of flooding during the monsoon season.

The CEC also referred to the arrangements made during the national election and referendum to enable expatriates, election officials and employees, law enforcement personnel and prisoners to cast their votes.

Voter list updated
Since taking charge in late November 2024, the Election Commission has prioritised restoring public confidence in the commission and the electoral system, Nasir Uddin said.

As part of the effort, around 77,000 workers were recruited and trained to update the voter list through door-to-door visits.

The exercise added around one million women to the voter list and removed the names of more than 2.1 million deceased voters, he said.