The Election Commission (EC) has completed all necessary preparations to hold the upcoming national parliamentary polls in the first half of February next year, reports BSS.
In an exclusive interview with the media, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said, “There is no barrier at this stage to holding the election. Our preparations are cent percent complete.”
"We are fully ready if the election is held in the first or second week of February,” he added.
He said, “According to the latest report, the imported (indelible) ink for voting has already arrived, which is a significant part of election preparations. Most of the essential works have been completed.”
Commenting on the current law and order situation, Abdur Rahmanel Masud said, “A peaceful and stable environment is essential not only for the election but also for the country’s overall development and stability."
As political parties have already announced their candidates, the election atmosphere is building up, he said, adding that once election campaigning begins, EC believes the situation will improve further.
He stressed that the upcoming general election is “extremely important,” saying, “Without an elected government and the continuation of democracy, there can be no stability or sustainable development.
Therefore, the election must be held in free, fair and participatory manner, he continued.
Referring to public distrust due to irregularities in past elections, the senior commissioner said restoring people’s confidence is the main goal of the current EC.
“We have no alternative but to ensure a good election. In the interest of the nation and to regain public trust, we must hold a free, fair, and acceptable election. Our goal is to make this election a festival for the people,” he said.
A top official of the EC Secretariat told the media that all basic preparations — including the procurement of election materials, legal amendments and the updating of the voter list — will be completed by November.
“All preparations will be finished before the election schedule is announced in early December,” the official said.
According to the latest EC data, there are a total of 12,76,12,384 registered voters in the country.
Of them, 6,47,60,382 are male, 6,28,50,772 are female and 1,230 are third-gender (Hijra) voters.
From September 1 to October 31, the number of voters increased by 13,04,880.
Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat Akhtar Ahmed said the final voter list will be published on November 18, while claims and objections can be submitted until November 17.
Ahead of the election, the EC has completed amendments to electoral laws. The government published the gazette of the "Representation of the People (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025" on November 3, incorporating several groundbreaking provisions.
The key amendments include: fugitive convicts declared by court cannot contest elections; the definition of law enforcement agencies now includes the armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard); the reintroduction of "No Vote" in single-candidate constituencies; re-election instead of lottery in case of a tie; mandatory voting under party symbols for alliance candidates; a security deposit of Tk 50,000; maximum punishment for violating the code of conduct - Tk 1.5 lakh fine or six months' imprisonment; EC's power to cancel polling in an entire constituency if irregularities are proven; introduction of IT-supported postal voting; AI-related irregularities to be treated as electoral offences; and EC's authority to take post-election action for false information in affidavits.
Before the 13th parliamentary election, the EC has registered three new political parties - National Citizen Party (NCP), Bangladesh Socialist Party (Marxist), and Bangladesh Aam Jonogon Party.
The EC has allocated the symbols "Shapla Koli" to NCP, "Kanchi" (Scissors) to the Samajtantrik Dal, and "Handshake" to BAJP.
The notification allows submission of claims and objections until November 12.
The EC has finalized 42,761 polling centres in 300 constituencies across 64 districts, including 1,15,137 booths for male voters, 1,29,602 booths for female voters, totaling 2,44,649 booths.
For the first time, expatriate Bangladeshis will be able to cast their votes through postal ballots.
To facilitate this, the EC will introduce the 'Postal Vote BD Registration App' on November 16.
According to Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat Akhtar Ahmed, expatriate voters will be able to register through the app to participate via postal ballots. The registration deadline will be announced at the inauguration.
EC sources said that dialogues with political parties may begin next week. The commission will call upon all participating parties to cooperate in ensuring a fair electoral environment.
"We want the 13th national election to become a celebration of democracy," Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said.
"Our main objective is to ensure that people can freely cast their votes for their preferred candidates," he added.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
