Sources in both the government and EC gave hints that the stalled ninth parliamentary election is likely to be held much before the announced time frame of end of 2008 if the EC can complete preparing the voter list.

A Bangladesh Army delegation yesterday made a presentation before EC officials at the EC Secretariat, explaining how they can assist the commission in preparing the voter roll using modern technology, sources said.

The chief election commissioner (CEC) on April 5 announced the 18-month time frame for preparing the voter list with photographs while the chief adviser in an address to the nation on April 12 said the stalled election would be held before the end of 2008.

Demand for holding the polls soon was raised in the last couple of weeks while the country's political scene is also changing dramatically amid the ongoing state of emergency.

Meanwhile, President Iajuddin Ahmed on Tuesday invited CEC ATM Shamsul Huda and two other election commissioners to lunch at Bangabhaban and asked them to make arrangements for holding the election in "shortest possible time".

At a meeting with the editors of different national dailies on May 6 Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed also gave hints that if possible the national election will be held before the declared time frame.

"We are examining different options for preparing the voter list and the time required for them," Huda told reporters after an EC meeting yesterday. He did not specify any of the options but said they are examining if the voter list can be prepared early within the time frame.

Sources in the EC said the commission, which is searching for a methodology for preparing the voter list with photographs in the shortest time, wants to start the task at the field level as soon as possible.

"The Election Commission asked the consultants who are preparing the project proposal for the voter list to find such methodology," a source close to the EC said.

The idea of inserting fingerprints in the voter list may be dropped to make the methodology easier while simultaneous preparation of the national identity cards is not being discussed with importance, sources said.

Talking to reporters, the CEC yesterday said next Sunday the consultants will submit a progress report of their task for preparing the project proposal.

The local chief of UNDP, which is assisting the EC in preparing the project, at a meeting with the EC yesterday discussed the progress of the ongoing task.

Meanwhile, the EC yesterday postponed today's meeting with constitution experts as some experts invited to the talks expressed their inability to attend the meeting because of personal businesses.

The CEC said the EC will hold talks with editors and senior journalists of different national dailies on May 17 seeking their opinions on the draft proposals for electoral reforms.

However, the commission cannot hold talks with the political parties because of the restriction on indoor politics. The EC said it will not finalise the reform proposals without consulting with the political parties.