"Once the task of data entry is complete, there will be some other tasks like publishing the draft electoral rolls and its corrections. It will require another few months to do the rest of the tasks," EC Secretary Humayun Kabir said at a weekly press briefing.

"The Election Commission is preparing to finish the voter list with photographs within the minimum possible time. The Election Commission is still examining options to do the task flawlessly," he said.

"We have increased the number of teams [of EC officials] from 8,000 to 12,000 only to save time," Humayun said, referring to the EC's original plan to form 8,000 teams to prepare the voter list.

The EC secretary, however, repeatedly said the progress of the task will largely depend on people's turnout for registering their names in the new voter list.

He said the enumerators would make door-to-door visits and distribute registration forms to collect particulars of voters. They will also help eligible voters in filling in the forms, he added.

One will have to come to the voters' registration centre to have their photographs and fingerprints taken for the voter list and national identity cards.

The EC secretary said the pilot project, which will begin on June 10 in Sripur municipality of Gazipur district, would help the EC finalise the methodology of preparing the voter list.

He said the EC has sought Tk 350 crore from the government for conducting electoral activities.