The two-and-a-half-month roadmap has been finalized by the Election Commission (EC) and the counting of election days will begin in early November.

The target for completing all the selection processes is mid-January. However, there is a constitutional obligation to complete the elections by January 29 next year. The roadmap lays down 94 action plans from the announcement of the schedule to polling and publication of the result gazette.

According to EC officials, polling for the 12th National Assembly may be held in late December or early January. For this, the commission will be scheduled in the beginning or middle of November.

According to sources, the election nomination papers, security deposit payment receipts, and nomination papers submission-selection forms will be distributed from BG Press at the field level in the first week of November. After that, an order will be issued to remove everything including posters-banners of the election campaign. The election schedule will be announced soon after this.

On the other hand, the EC will write to the registered political parties to provide information regarding the signature of the president/general secretary of the political party or equivalent position holder on the day after the election schedule and timetable table are issued. The EC will appoint the Executive Magistrate two days before the close of nomination papers.

Apart from this, if multiple political parties are willing to jointly allocate symbols, the EC will send a letter to give them an opportunity to apply within the stipulated time. The Electoral Inquiry Committee will be formed two days after the announcement of the schedule.

One week after the announcement of the election schedule, the Commission will allocate and approve the first phase of funds for carrying the expenses of the returning officer and the field level for the election work. A day after the withdrawal of nominations, the EC Secretariat will issue a printing order to the Government Printing Press to print the ballot papers with the approval of the Election Commission.

Apart from this, immediately after the withdrawal of candidature, the EC will hold a law and order meeting with various law and order forces and intelligence agencies including the Ministry of Home Affairs and other officials including field-level officers and DC-SP. Appointment of Polling Officers will be finalized 20 days before polling; 15 days before the polling station gazette will be published; EC will appoint election observers 12 days before polling.

Meanwhile, the EC has planned to declare a general holiday 11 days before the polling. The postal ballot paper will be given to the returning officer 10 days before the polling. Training of election officials will start 10/12 days before polling.

The EC has finalized the plan to keep members of the law and order forces at the field level for 15 days even after taking the vote to prevent conflict and violence in this election. Ballot papers and other election materials will be sent to the district headquarters 8/9 days before polling.

Apart from this, the EC will publish the result gazette two days after the end of polling and send it to the Parliament Secretariat. The action plan of the EC has scheduled a meeting with the top officials of the law and order forces after the withdrawal of the candidature. The Election Commission will give this instruction after the withdrawal of candidature.

In this regard, several election commissioners have said that considering the conflict and violence, it has been decided to keep members of the law and order forces in the field for 15 days even after the end of the election. In this case, the local administration will take necessary measures.

(The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on October 18 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan)