The elections to five city corporations will be held by July this year ahead of the next national polls, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda said today.

Gazipur, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet city corporation elections will be held by July but dates are yet to be fixed, the CEC told journalists while visiting upazila EC office in Poba of Rajshahi.

The Election commission has started its preparations for organizing the five city corporation polls, our Rajshahi correspondent reports quoting the CEC.

The tenure of Gazipur mayor will expire on September 4 this year; Sylhet's on September 8; Khulna’s on September 25; Rajshahi’s on October 5; and Barisal’s on October 23.

The election to four city corporations -- Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet -- were held on June 15, 2013, and the maiden polls to Gazipur City Corporation on July 6, 2013.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda yesterday said the national election would not be inclusive without the participation of the BNP.

“The BNP is a big political party. How is it possible to hold an inclusive election without its participation? The election will not be participatory without the BNP. I had said it earlier and I am saying it again,” he said.

He came up with the comment when ruling Awami League collected nomination form for the presidential candidate at Nirbachan Bhaban.

The CEC expressed the hope that the BNP and other political parties would contest the national election likely to be held by the end of this year.

“Still I hope that the BNP and all the political parties will contest the polls.”

The BNP boycotted the January 5, 2014 elections demanding polls under a non-partisan interim administration. It has still been demanding the same, but the ruling party says the next general election will be held under the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led administration.

The BNP has recently started alleging that the government is trying to keep party chief Khaleda Zia and her party away from the polls as well as politics.

Rejecting the allegation, ruling party leaders said it is the responsibility a political party to contest the polls, not of the government to bring it in the election.

Hasina in parliament has recently outlined the election-time government.

CEC Nurul Huda said the commission always wants participation of all political parties in the election and they would be able to avail themselves of the same facilities.

The EC would conduct the election in a neutral manner, he assured.

The ruling AL has collected the party's nomination paper on behalf of President Abdul Hamid to run the presidency for another term.

A team of the AL parliamentary members, led by Jatiya Sangsad Chief Whip ASM Feroz, went to the EC at Agargaon in the capital and collected the nomination paper yesterday morning, Asaduzzaman Arju, joint secretary (media and publications) of the EC, told The Daily Star.

The other members of the team are Jatiya Sangsad whips Md Iqbalur Rahim and Md Shahiduzzaman Sarker.

If any other political party that has representation in parliament does not nominate any candidate, Hamid would be elected unopposed in the elections, Asaduzzaman added.

On Thursday, Hasina formally conveyed the president of her party's nomination to him to run the presidency for another term.

Earlier on January 31, the AL Parliamentary Board made the decision at a meeting at the Gono Bhaban with party chief Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

The tenure of Hamid, who took office on April 24, 2013, will expire on April 23 this year.

The presidential election is scheduled to be held on February 18.

According to article 123 of the Constitution, presidential election has to be held within 90 to 60 days of expiry of the president's five-year term.

The presidential election is deemed crucial as the next parliamentary polls will be held at the end of this year. This means the next president will be in office for four years of the next government.

Before taking oath as the president, Hamid was elected lawmaker seven times and also served as the Speaker twice.

He became acting president on March 14, 2013 after the then president Zillur Rahman was admitted to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore on March 10. Zillur breathed his last at the hospital on March 20.

The Election Commission today instructed aspirants seeking to contest the 11 parliamentary election not to hold rallies or showdowns while receiving or submitting their nomination papers to the concerned authorities.

Various print and electronic media reported that following the announcement of the election schedule, possible candidates of different political parties are holding rallies and showdowns while collecting and submitting nomination forms which is a violation of the electoral code of conduct, sources at the EC said.

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Performing Election Duties: EC warns ROs of stern action for failure

According to the existing electoral rules and regulation, aspiring candidates cannot hold rallies and showdowns during the process of collection and submission of nomination papers, a joint secretary of the EC said.

EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed on November 9 said, “Bringing out processions and staging showdowns are prohibited until the candidates are allotted electoral symbols.”

The Election Commission yesterday revised the polls schedule, fixing the election date on December 30.

According to a report published on The Daily Star today, the AL and BNP activists have been marching and campaigning for their parties while buying nomination papers.

Locals said processions of AL supporters and possible candidates near the party president's Dhanmondi office have been causing traffic congestions in the area.

A similar picture was seen in Nayapaltan area, where BNP activists and leaders gathered to collect nomination papers yesterday.

When is the election?

Election Commission has revised polls schedule, deferring the 11th general election by a week to December 30.

The authorities have fixed November 28 as the deadline for filing nomination papers, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda made the announcement at a programme in Dhaka’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre this afternoon.

According to the fresh schedule, the nomination papers will be scrutinised on December 2. The last date for withdrawal of nomination is December 9. A gazette notification was published yesterday afternoon to make the decision effective immediately. 

The change comes four days after the Election Commission announced the polls schedule of the 11th parliamentary elections and several opposition parties demanding a delay.

Who is participating?

The Jatiya Oikyafront and the BNP-led alliance announced on Sunday that they would participate in the election and demanded that polling be deferred by a month. 

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda yesterday said that it cannot be guaranteed that there will be no anomalies in the general election.

Replying to a query on whether there is agreeable atmosphere to hold the national election, especially after allegations of irregularities in the recently-concluded polls in five city corporations, Huda said, “I do not agree with the claim that city corporation elections were not satisfactory. We don't think such irregularities will occur in the national election. We cannot, however, ensure that there will be absolutely no irregularity anywhere in a national-level election.”

“We will investigate and take necessary actions if we receive complaints of anomalies,” he added.

The CEC made the remarks while talking to reporters at the Election Training Institute at Agargaon, Dhaka.

“We always take actions against irregularities that take place in general elections. You have seen us taking extra measures during Barisal city polls, where there were irregularities,” he told reporters.

When asked about Gono Forum President Dr. Kamal Hossain's statement that people do not have any faith in the election commission, the CEC said, “I do not know how Dr Kamal read the thoughts of the entire nation. Did he (Kamal) have any statistics? Did all the people come and tell him to say that? I don't know.”

Saying that the current student movement for safe roads has nothing to do with the national election, the CEC said. “Voting in the national election will take place according to the constitution. We are working on it.”

Huda said that election schedule will be announced in October and the election is likely to be held either at the end of December or beginning of January next year.

Chief Election Commission (CEC) KM Nurul Huda today said the national election will not be inclusive without participation of the BNP.

“BNP is a major political party. How is it possible to hold an inclusive election without their participation? The election won't be participatory without the party’s participation. I had said it earlier and still I am saying so,” said the CEC.

He came up with the remark while Awami League (AL) collected nomination form for the presidential candidate at Nirbachan Bhaban.

CEC Huda hoped that the BNP and other political parties will participate in the general election likely to be held by end of this year.

The BNP had boycotted the January 5, 2014 election demanding election under a non-partisan interim administration. But ruling AL leaders said election will be held under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership.

Recently the BNP started alleging that the government is trying to keep BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her party to away from the next parliamentary elections and also from politics.

Rejecting their claims, AL leaders said it is the responsibility of the BNP to participate in the election as a political party, it is not the responsibility of the ruling party to bring them in the election.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recently in the parliament outlined the election-time government.

CEC Huda said the commission always wants the participation of all the political parties in the parliamentary election and they will be able to avail of the same facilities.

The EC will conduct the election in a neutral manner, he promised.