The preparations for the upcoming twelfth national parliamentary elections are nearly complete, with the Election Commission (EC) now awaiting the announcement of the detailed schedule, which is expected to include the start of voting in December or the beginning of January.

The EC is eyeing a neutral election. All kinds of initiatives are being taken to bring all the parties to the elections. This constitutional body is completing many tasks after the announcement of the schedule. Polling stations have already been finalized. Shopping for election merchandise is almost over.

According to EC officials, a plan has been taken to keep 60-70 days from the announcement of the schedule of parliamentary elections to the date of polling. More time will be given this time to ensure the participation of all political parties and proper conduct of activities from Returning Officers to Election Officers at all levels. According to the EC's calculations, there are 100 days left for the election.

EC officials said that the EC intends to announce the schedule between November 1-2. In this case, they are thinking of keeping more than 60-70 days for voting after the announcement of the schedule. There are plans to not date the polls so close to 'Christmas' to bring in foreign observers. For this, the EC is planning to keep the date of voting in January.

The schedule is announced 40-45 days before the polling date for the parliamentary elections. In this case, time is kept for campaigning after the submission of nomination papers, selection, withdrawal, and allotment of symbols. A maximum of three weeks is allowed for campaigning, 10 to 15 days for submission of nomination papers, four days for selection, four to seven days for disposal of appeals, and seven days for withdrawal. However, this time the commission wants to give more time for the participation of all parties and proper conduct of election work.

Election Commissioner (EC) Brig General (Retd) Ahsan Habib told Bangladesh Pratidin, “The commission has not yet decided on the scheduled announcement date. The 12th parliamentary elections are expected to be held in the last week of December or early January. We continue to make every effort to hold an acceptable, participatory election. Hope all parties will participate in the election.”

“Discussion is underway regarding the deviation from the usual timing of parliamentary elections, especially in terms of providing ample time for Returning Officers and other election officials to conduct their duties efficiently, conduct training, and handle appeals/hearings from candidates without rushing. The Election Commission is in the process of determining the exact timeframe required for these tasks, taking into account realism, and will finalize the details. The preparatory work for the elections is nearing completion, with steps being taken to ensure a well-organized process.”

“Additionally, the acquisition of election materials is also in progress, with everything expected to be in the possession of the Election Commission in due time,” he added.

Election commissioner Anisur Rahman said, “The schedule of the 12th National Assembly elections will be announced next November. The election will be held in the first week of January 2024.”

“Participation of all parties does not depend on us (Election Commission). Party participation depends on party decisions and political decisions. We have nothing to do with it. But they expect a participatory election,” he added.

Regarding the procurement of electoral materials, the concerned parties say that the tender of all electoral materials except stamp pads has been completed. Some goods have started arriving. I will receive all the goods by November 7th. BG Press has already been asked for the ballot papers. BG Press is looking into the matter.

Meanwhile, although the 12th National Assembly elections were held on ballot papers, the Election Commission is preparing to make maximum use of technology in the election process. In this case, the possibility of submission of nomination papers is being given online to control the muscle power and to prevent obstacles in the submission of nomination papers to the candidates. Along with this, there will be an opportunity to pay the security deposit online through e-banking.

On the other hand, the EC is developing an app called 'Bangladesh Election App' to reduce the hassle of finding the polling station name and voter number. The app is planned to be launched on September 27. In addition to voter information, the identity and phone number of returning officer, assistant returning officer, DC, SP, OC, and other election officials will be given in this app.

(The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on September 25 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan)