Bangladesh Election Commission plans to introduce a voter registration system for Bangladeshi expatriates, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda said in New Delhi, India yesterday.

The CEC said the commission will set up offices in several countries, namely Singapore, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Malaysia, UK, USA, Italy, Australia and Canada. These are the countries where most Bangladeshi expatriates live.

Over 10 million Bangladeshis live in 157 countries, but many of them have failed to enrol in the voter list, and they do not have NIDs, he said.

He said technical and non-technical teams of experts will visit the countries to conduct a feasibility study, according to a press release of Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi.

The CEC's remarks were delivered through a presentation he gave at the opening of a two-day international conference on “Making Our Elections Inclusive and Accessible”, organised by Election Commission of India, marking National Voters' Day celebrations.

Besides Bangladesh, top election commission officials from Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, and Russia are participating in the event. Representatives from several international organisations are also taking part.

Chief Election Commissioner of India Sunil Arora delivered the keynote address at the opening session.

In his first foreign visit after presiding over Bangladesh's 11th parliamentary election on Dec 30, CEC Huda said the polls have been inclusive of all registered political parties. The election has been free, fair and peaceful with 25,000 local and 160 international observers freely watching the voting process, he said.

Huda said the Election Commission has focused on young voters, encouraging their enrolment through SMS, TVC, radio, posters and leaflets. Voters' awareness programme has also been included in the primary and secondary level curricula.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda today said the commission will announce soon the reschedule for election to Dhaka North City Corporation mayoral post.

“We will hold a meeting with all the election commissioners very soon to discuss about the fresh schedule for the election,” the CEC told reporters after a programme at his office in Dhaka.  

Responding to a query, KM Nurul Huda said the polls will be held at a day during the upazila election, which is likely to be held in phases from the first week of March.  

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Upazila Parishad Polls: Schedule likely next month

EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed on January 14 said the commission is likely to announce the schedule for the upazila parishad polls in the first week of February.

Meanwhile, the High Court today cleared the way for holding elections to the city corporation mayoral post and polls in the 36 new wards under the two Dhaka city corporations.

The court lifted its earlier order that stayed the process for holding the DNCC and DSCC elections.

WHY THE POLLS WERE STAYED?

On February 25, 2018, the Supreme Court asked the HC to expedite hearing and disposal of its previous rules that halted the by-election to Dhaka North City Corporation mayoral post and polls in the 36 new wards under two Dhaka city corporations.

The process for holding the elections was to remain halted until the HC rules are disposed of, the court said.

Following three writ petitions, the HC issued three rules on January 17 and 18, asking the government and the EC to explain why the schedule for holding the by-polls to the DNCC mayoral post and elections in the new wards in DNCC and Dhaka South City Corporation should not be declared illegal.

It also stayed the election schedule for six months.

The by-polls to the DNCC mayoral post and the elections to 36 councillor posts in the 36 new wards -- 18 in DNCC and 18 in DSCC -- were scheduled to be on February 26, 2018.

The DNCC mayoral post fell vacant with the death of Annisul Huq on November 30 last year.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda yesterday said he wanted the upcoming by-polls to Dhaka North City Corporation mayoral post and councillor election to the 36 new wards under the DNCC and the DSCC to be free and fair.

“The 11th general election was held in a fair manner. We want the Dhaka city corporation elections to be held like the national election,” he said.

Huda made the comment while briefing returning officers and executive magistrates, who will carry out election duties for the February 28 polls, at his office in the capital's Agargaon.

The CEC thanked all returning officers and executive magistrates for performing their duties during the December 30 election.

“I congratulate you and all your colleagues across the country for their hard work, skills and gifting the nation a fair election,” he said.

Huda said if the officers and the magistrates could ensure that the electoral code of conducts was properly followed, most of their duties would be performed. “Who will win the election is none of your concern.”

“People love you and they have confidence in you. Because of this, you have to ensure that the electoral rules are followed,” he told the officers and the magistrates.

“I am sure you will not do any irregularities. There is no doubt that you won't compromise with neutrality,” he added.

According to the polls schedule, the last day for filing nomination papers for the election to the 36 new wards -- 18 under the DNCC and 18 under the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) -- is January 30.

The returning officers will scrutinise the nomination papers on February 2, and the last date for withdrawing candidacy is February 9.

The DNCC mayoral post fell vacant following the death of Annisul Huq on November 30, 2017.

He was elected on April 28, 2015.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda yesterday rejected the Transparency International Bangladesh report on irregularities in the 11th parliamentary polls, terming the report “baseless”.

Besides the CEC, two ministers criticised the report. 

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, called the TIB report a “fairy tale”.

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud said the TIB report was a “deliberate falsehood” and it echoed the speech of opposition alliance -- Jatiya Oikyafront -- regarding the December 30 polls.    

On Tuesday, the TIB in its study titled “Review of Election Process of 11th National Election” said irregularities took place in 47 out of the 50 constituencies it surveyed. 

It termed the polls “partially participatory, non-competitive, questionable and faulty" and demanded a judicial inquiry into the reported irregularities.

The anti-graft watchdog said ballot papers stamping took place the night before the election in 33 constituencies, stamping ballots openly after occupying booths in 30 seats on the election day and non-availability of ballot papers in 22 constituencies.

The TIB study found ballot boxes filled-up before polling even began in 20 constituencies; voters forced to cast ballots for a particular symbol in 26 constituencies, casting of fake votes in 41 seats, silence of the administration and law enforcing agencies in 42 seats and obstructing and driving out polling agents in 29 seats.

In the 50 constituencies, not all the polling centres necessarily saw the anomalies. Irregularities happened in one or more centres of a seat, the watchdog said.

'IT IS BASELESS'

“We are completely rejecting the TIB report on the election. It is baseless,” the CEC told reporters after an orientation programme of the newly appointed Election Commission officials at the Nirbachon Bhaban in the capital yesterday.

The CEC said there was no similarity of the TIB report with those published in newspapers and accounts of other observers on the voting day.

Information provided by the election enquiry committees, executive magistrates and EC officials and others on the polls also do not match the TIB findings, he said.

The CEC also slammed the TIB's allegation that the EC failed to act neutrally and the role of some polling officers and law enforcement agencies were biased, saying, “The speech is disrespectful ... They should not speak like that.”

He said the commission would not take any step against TIB over its report.

'FAIRY TALE'

“The TIB has come up with the fairy tale long after the election,” Quader told journalists after an extended meeting of Dhaka South City unit Jubo League at AL's central office on the Bangabandhu Avenue.

“The TIB has cooked up so many imaginary and unbelievable stories. The countrymen will give a reply to the report.”

He termed the December 30 election transparent and excellent.

“Did any agent of BNP and Oikyafront candidates make any objection about the transparency of the election on the voting day?” Quader questioned.   

HASAN BINS REPORT

In another development, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud said, “There is no difference between the TIB    report and the speech of the Oikyafront. In fact, the TIB just published a report in favour of BNP and Jamaat-Shibir.”

He was addressing a press conference in his Dewanji Pukur Par lane house in the port city yesterday, reports a staff correspondent in Chattogram.

The minister added that though the TIB usually claimed that its reports were based on research findings. But in fact, no proper research was actually done.