No change in poll schedule
Election Commissioner Brig Gen (rtd) M Sakhawat Hossain yesterday said there is no scope for changing the election schedule announced by the Election Commission that is committed to completing the polls by December this year.
One can go to the court if he or she wants any change in the schedule for parliament and upazila elections, he said at a view exchange meeting with local elites and probable candidates for upcoming parliament and upazila parishad elections.
“As we are committed to completing the polls by December this year, there is no scope for changing the election schedule announced by the Election Commission. We will hold the upcoming parliament and upazila parishad elections at any cost,” he said.
“Earlier many parties demanded polls as early as possible but now a few of them are demanding change in the election schedule,” he said at the meeting held at Patuakhali deputy commissioner's conference room in the afternoon.
“All candidates for parliament or upazila parishad election should strictly follow code of conduct introduced by the Election Commission. If any candidate disregards the code of conduct, legal steps will be taken against him,” he added.
Addressing the government officials, he said, “Any negligence in election-related activities will not be tolerated. If anybody shows irresponsibility in their election duty, proper legal action will be taken against him.”
They must follow all directives from the Election Commission during election to ensure a credible election, he said.
“There will be no scope for vote rigging in the upcoming elections as we have already introduced a voter lists with photograph.”
He urged the political parties and elites in the society to extend help and cooperation for successful holding of the polls.
Showing a new ballot box that will be used in upcoming polls, he said there remains no scope to manipulate the election by snatching ballot boxes from polling centres as a specific number is kept for every box and opening the box would not be an easy task.
Representatives from political parties including Awami League, BNP, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Party, Gono Forum, took part in the meeting, among others.
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