United News of Bangladesh

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Wednesday expressed the hope that the Election Commission would soon receive a letter from the interim government about the timeframe to hold the next general election in ‘early’ February, 2026. “The Chief Adviser said he would send us a letter to hold the election in early February, ahead of Ramadan. I hope we will get the letter very soon,” he told a press conference at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital. Earlier, on Tuesday, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, in a televised address to the nation, marking the first anniversary of July Uprising Day, announced that he would formally notify the Election Commission, on behalf of the interim government, to arrange the national election before Ramadan in February 2026. The CEC said the Commission has already been preparing for the election well in advance. “Despite having various challenges to hold the election in February, we are moving ahead with our preparations. There will be no lack of preparation—InshaAllah as we are taking all necessary preparations to conduct a fair election,” he added. The CEC said the election environment is steadily improving and he currently sees no major problems. “Things have improved much. The election is still a few months away. By then, you’ll see, InshAllah, everything will be in place. I believe the law-and-order situation will not be a problem,” he said. “People have lost trust [in elections]. The number one challenge is now to restore that public confidence. The voters have lost faith in the Election Commission, they’ve lost faith in the electoral system,” said the CEC. The CEC said the Commission would engage in dialogues with stakeholders after political parties complete their discussions with the Consensus Commission. “We’ve planned about a month for this,” he said. He said the EC will begin providing training to 8 to 9 lakh personnel to be involved in election duties and preparations for postal ballots for law enforcement and polling officers. “This time, we’ll try to bring nearly 10 lakh people under the postal balloting,” the CEC said, adding, “Once we receive the letter from the Chief Adviser regarding the election, we’ll hold discussions and fix the polling date. The schedule will be announced two months before that.” The CEC also urged political parties to cooperate in ensuring a level-playing field along with the Commission’s own efforts. He said the EC is committed to arranging a transparent election. “We want to make the election as transparent as possible—like a mirror. We want the people and the world to witness our sincerity and efforts. We want nothing to hide.” About the progress of the pre-election preparatory work, the CEC said an updated voter list would be finalised by August 31 next, and the electoral rolls would be updated further incorporating others who turn voters within a specific time before the election. The CEC also expressed the hope that all necessary procurement for the polls will be completed by September next.