Sending ballots on polls day: Cops, officials see hurdles in EC plan

Several police and administration officers told the Election Commission that ballot papers for the 12th national election should be taken to the polling stations on the day before the election day.

If the EC sends the ballot papers on the election day, there will be staff shortage and additional challenges will arise in remote areas like Chattogram Hill Tracts, the officials said during a training arranged by the commission at the capital's Electoral Training Institute.

Two election commissioners recently said they were considering whether to send ballot papers to the polling centres on the morning of the election day.

Election Commissioner Md Alamgir said the matter was being discussed. "Everything will be finalised when the election schedule is announced."

The national election is likely to be held in early January, and the EC is planning to announce the schedule in early November.

The EC on Saturday started the first phase of training for divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, deputy inspectors general of police, superintendents of police and regional election officers.

A police officer told a training session that additional law enforcers will be needed if ballot papers reach the polling stations on election day.

"The number of polling centres is high compared with last time. We face difficulties while ensuring law and order. If we need to take the ballot papers in the morning, we will be under pressure," said another police official.

Until the last general election, ballot papers reached polling stations the day before the election day.

The matter became contentious after the December 30, 2018 election with the opposition alleging that "ballot box stuffing took place the night before the voting day".

The Jatiya Oikyafront in January 2019 told the EC that between 30 and 60 percent of the votes were cast using the ballot papers on the night before the polls.

On January 15, 2019, Transparency International Bangladesh in a study found that stamping of ballots took place on the night before the election day in more than one centre in 33 constituencies out of 50 surveyed.

In 30 constituencies, ballot papers were stamped openly after occupying polling booths on voting day, according to the study titled "Review of Election Process of 11th National Election".

Speaking to The Daily Star on February 14 last year, former election commissioner Mahbub Talukdar said: "It was an established truth that ballot box stuffing took place the night before voting day [in 2018]."