The idea of setting up camps instead of going door to door has received mixed reaction from different quarters including the political camps. Most of the political parties including BNP and Awami League have already expressed their doubt about the success of this methodology from the apprehension that many a people especially those conservative women folk, the old and sick people living in the far flung rural areas may not like to come to the camps for enrolment of their names. Even those who will be interested may not feel encouraged if they have to stand in queue for hours for this purpose.

The EC have their own arguments in support of their decision. They think it will not only be difficult but also technically unrealistic to go door to door with all the equipment that will be required for the job. They are confident that, if not anything else, their decision to issue national identity card, without which they will be barred from availing certain state facilities, will work as incentive for the voters to respond to their call. They also argue that if the voters can go to the polling stations for casting vote, why wouldn't they be able to go to the camps for registration of their names as voters?

The EC may be right but only partially, says the opposition camp. According to them, it is most unlikely that all people will instantly feel the necessity or be interested enough in the ID to take the trouble of going to the camps. As regards casting of votes, only 50-60 percent voters go to the polling stations, that also after so much of efforts and persuasions by the workers of the contesting candidates, to exercise their right to franchise.

Undeniably, both sides have points worth considering. I am sure, the EC will take due cognizance of these views and adjust their programmes as the work progresses. What we strongly feel is that the EC should start the work immediately. They have already spent a lot of time in formulating a methodology for preparation of voter list.

The decision of the EC to start two pilot projects, one at Savar and another at Gazippur, as test case from early June before starting the actual field work from August is most welcome. A large number of people of the Dhaka city being floating, it is always a difficult job to make a flawless voter list of this cosmopolitan city. The EC might as well include one of the eight constituencies of this capital city in the pilot project.

It is good to see that Bangladesh army have expressed their confidence and willingness to carry out the job. They have demonstrated that they are capable of doing the job in 5 to 6 months time. Why not we avail their services, albeit under the overall supervision of the EC?

The difference or confusion that had arisen with the time frame estimated by the Bangladesh Army experts and the EC for preparation of voter list with photo and ID has been I think amply clarified by the CEC while talking with the top journalists of the country last Saturday.

However, taking into consideration the time estimated by the Bangladesh army to complete the field level job and the time assessed by the EC to complete other formalities prior to and after the field work, we do not see any reason why we should not be able to get a complete voter list with photo by June 2008, if everything goes well.

As an ordinary citizen I have a few humble suggestions to make. If it will be difficult, as is apprehended by the EC, to go door-to-door with equipment and other logistic support, the proposed camps should be set up in almost every village or mahalla and in such central locations where the inhabitants of that area can simply walk in.

The better alternative could probably be that the enumerators go door-to-door, have the names and other particulars of the prospective voters entered in the prescribed form and then ask them to visit the camps with the counterfoil or token (the enumerators will leave behind with the voters) for photography and other formalities as and when the camps are opened.

This will save the voters' considerable waiting time at the registration camps and also help the camps identify those whose names were enrolled by the enumerators earlier but have failed to call on the centers for photography and other purposes and thus ensure an accurate and complete voter roll with very few missing from the list.

The other good aspect of this alternative approach is that the job (of going door-to-door for collection of data) can start forthwith, say within two to three weeks from now, allowing the time the EC may require for printing of forms and appointment of enumerators, instead of waiting till august 2007 for the equipment to arrive, thereby setting in motion the process of electoral roll, which the people are so eagerly waiting for.

The last but not the least, the political parties being the key players in the game, obviously their active participation and cooperation is important in the entire electoral process including reform and preparation of voter roll. The EC might be well advised to initiate dialogue with them sooner rather than later.

Captain Husain Imam is a retired merchant navy officer.