Work plan for polls: EC aims to wrap up key preps by November
The Election Commission yesterday unveiled its work plan for the next general election and set November as the deadline for wrapping up all major preparations.
The plan lays out at least 24 time-bound tasks, including updating voter rolls, finalising constituency delimitation, registering new parties and local observers, preparing polling logistics, and holding talks with political parties.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Asked about the election schedule, EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told reporters that the commission will announce it 60 days before polling day.
"The Chief Adviser's Office has advised the commission to arrange the election before the upcoming Ramadan, which is expected to begin on February 17 or 18. So, you can calculate the [polling] date in line with that," he said.
In his August 5 televised address, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said he would request the Election Commission to hold the national polls before next Ramadan in February 2026. The following day, his office sent the formal directive to the EC to complete all necessary preparations by that time.
WHAT'S IN THE WORK PLAN
According to the work plan, dialogues with registered political parties and other stakeholders will begin in the last week of September and continue for at least one to one-and-a-half months.
Participants will include civil society members, academics, women's groups, newspaper and TV editors, election observers and experts, as well as injured protesters from the July uprising.
The EC has already started working to finalise constituency delimitation, update the voter list, and register new parties. It is also preparing amendments to the Representation of the People Order 1972, the Political Parties and Candidates' Code of Conduct, the Election Conduct Rules, the Election Officers (Special Provisions) Act 1991, and the Election Commission Secretariat Act 2009.
The draft amendments to the RPO and the electoral code of conduct will be sent to the government by Sunday, the work plan says.
Guidelines and management framework for polling centres, as well as policies for domestic and international observers and journalists, have already been finalised.
On law and order, the EC will hold several consultations. The first is scheduled for September 25 with the home ministry and law enforcement agencies to plan security measures at polling centres and within constituencies. A second meeting will take place 15 days before the election schedule is announced, followed by further discussions after the schedule is made public.
"The commission will hold additional law and order meetings as needed," said EC Secretary Akhtar.
The voter list update is also nearing completion. A revised voter roll will be published on Saturday, with the final list due on November 30.
To ensure expatriate Bangladeshis can vote, the EC plans to introduce an IT-supported postal voting system. As outlined in the work plan, a phone app will be developed by September 30 and tested throughout October. Expatriate voter registration and enrolment will take place between November 11 and 30.
The roadmap does not mention any challenges. Asked about this, Secretary Akhtar said, "Everything is a challenge. The commission possesses the necessary resilience to tackle each of them."
Regarding concerns about law and order, Akhtar clarified that these matters fall under the home ministry's jurisdiction.
"The commission's responsibility is to advance election-related activities. We will engage in discussions with the home ministry and proceed based on the evolving situation," he added.
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