The Election Commission is continuing its efforts of election process for the 12th parliamentary elections. After the meeting with President Md. Shahabuddin, the commission will announce the schedule of parliamentary elections in a formal meeting. The EC may meet the President on November 9, according to the source of Bangabhavan, as the EC's initial date of meeting the President on November 5 has been pushed back.
According to EC sources, the EC has two types of thoughts about the schedule. It may be modified again to ensure participation of all parties with the first schedule. For this reason, the commission has considered three dates for the polls. Firstly, it will be held in last week of December, i.e., December 28, for holding the polls. In this case this date may change again. Secondly, January 7th is in their thought for taking the vote. Thirdly, January 9 or 11 is also a possible date for polling. But everything depends on the official meeting of the commission. A new date may also be fixed in the commission meeting. According to EC sources, the Commission will present the proposal of these three possible election dates to the President. The date will be finalized later in the official meeting of the Election Commission. However, while November 5 was the initial date for the meeting with the President, the probable date for the commission meeting was November 6. But as the meeting with the President is delayed, the commission meeting is also going to be delayed. Commission meeting may be held on 12 November. The election schedule may also be announced on that day. However, if there is no meeting on that day for any reason, the commission meeting will be held on 13th or 14th. The Election Commission (EC) plans to appoint returning officers for parliamentary elections in early November. After the meeting with the President, the commission will announce the polling date and election schedule in mid-November. However, the commission can also inform the date of announcement of election schedule on the day of appointment of returning officer. And the vote for the parliamentary elections will be taken in the last week of December or the beginning of January.
Sources said the EC's meeting with the President is a formality, a courtesy meeting with the President before announcing the schedule of parliamentary elections. A letter has already been sent for this. The commission headed by then CEC KM Nurul Huda met the President on November 1, 2018, before the 11th parliamentary elections. A week later, the schedule for the parliamentary elections was announced on November 8. The then CEC led delegation met the President on November 19, 2013 before the 10th parliamentary elections. A week after that, the polling schedule was announced on November 25. Constitutionally, the commission has to conduct parliamentary elections within 90 days before January 29, 2024. In that case, the countdown to the 12th Parliament election has started on November 1.
Meanwhile, although the 12th National Assembly election was held on ballot paper, the commission is preparing to make maximum use of technology in the election process. In this case, the possibility of online submission of nomination papers is being given to control the muscle power and to prevent obstacles in the submission of nomination papers to the candidates. Along with this, there will also be an opportunity to pay the security deposit online through e-banking. On the other hand, the commission is developing an app called 'Bangladesh Election App' to reduce the hassle of finding polling station name and voter number.
Officials of the election management wing of the EC said the schedule was announced within 60 days before voting in the first parliamentary election, 54 days in the second, 47 days in the third, 69 days in the fourth, 78 days in the fifth, 47 days in the sixth, 47 days in the seventh, 42 days in the eighth, 47 days in the ninth, 42 days in the tenth and 46 days in the 11th parliamentary elections. The first to eleventh parliamentary elections in Bangladesh were held on March 7, 1973, February 18, 1979, May 7, 1986, March 3, 1988, February 27, 1991, February 15, 1996, June 12, 1996, October 1, 2001, 2008 respectively. 29 December, 5 January 2014 and 30 December 2018.
(The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on November 3 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque)
