Based on the apprehension, the EC is sending directives to deputy commissioners (DC) across the country to initiate measures to ensure registration of all eligible women as voters, sources in the EC Secretariat said.

"We started sending written directives to deputy commissioners from Thursday asking them to take proper measures to ensure that eligible conservative women are registered as voters," a senior official of the EC Secretariat told The Daily Star yesterday.

The number of women voters was about a half of the total voters on previous electoral rolls, which were prepared by sending the EC staff to door-to- door visits.

But this time around, the EC decided to prepare the voter list with photographs and national identity cards simultaneously, initiating a new procedure making it mandatory for all prospective voters to visit the voter registration centres to have their photographs taken for the voter list.

"The Election Commission received information from many areas that some people are talking about religious restrictions regarding registration of women as voters. Such negative discussions might discourage women with persuasions of religious conservatism from visiting the voter registration centres," the senior EC official said.

If women in religious conservative families do not register their names on the electoral roll, the number of women voters will be reduced drastically, he added.

Considering all the aspects, the EC is asking the deputy commissioners to launch a campaign to raise awareness among the people in an effort to keep the voter list unhampered.

"We have been asked to launch an awareness raising campaign involving local eminent persons and religious leaders," a deputy commissioner told The Daily Star yesterday. "Imams of local mosques will be involved in the campaign to dispel confusions about religious customs regarding women visiting the registration centres," he added.

The EC already warned that punitive actions will be taken if anybody prevents or discourages eligible citizens from visiting the voter registration centres to have their photographs taken for the voter list.

Besides, the EC earlier held meetings with Masjid Mission and Imam Samity to dispel any confusion regarding religious diktats about women visiting the voter registration centres. The religious leaders, who met the EC, assured the commission that they will launch a campaign to raise awareness among the people regarding the matter.