United News of Bangladesh

The Election Commission (EC) plans to complete the revision and updating of all rules and codes of conduct related to local government elections by June next, considering the period from late October to March as the most suitable time to begin elections to local government bodies. The Commission thinks elections to union parishads and municipalities should be held first as people are being deprived of essential services due to absence of elected representatives in the grassroots bodies. The EC plans to hold the elections to local government bodies in phases to ensure peaceful polls and avoid violence that marked many local elections in the past. Since there are no elected representatives in almost all the local bodies, the Commission estimates that it would take 10-12 months to complete the elections to all the bodies. As part of preparation to conduct elections to local government bodies throughout the country, the commission is now revising separate rules and election codes for city corporations, municipalities, zila parishads, upazila parishads and union parishads. The move aims to modernise the rules and also align these with amended local government laws that restored non-partisan elections to the key posts (mayor and chairman) dropping the provision for the use of political party symbols. The interim government amended the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act 2009, Local Government (Municipality) Act 2009, Upazila Parishad Act 1998, Zila Parishad Act 2000 and Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2009. The amendments were later ratified by Parliament. “We want to complete updating and reform of the rules and codes of conduct related to all types of local government elections by June next,” said Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud. Though separate rules and codes will remain for different local government bodies, the codes of conduct will be largely similar across all categories, he told UNB on Sunday. The code of conduct for local government will also largely be similar to the code used for the February-12 parliamentary election, he added. About the possible changes, the Election Commissioner said the use of posters will be banned, while stricter provisions will be incorporated to check misinformation and disinformation and misuse of AI particularly on social media. The requirement for collecting signatures of a specific number of voters will be removed, while the amount of security deposit for candidates, except women contesting in reserved seats will be raised to rational level, he said. The EC will publish draft rules on its website for at least 15 days to seek public opinions and suggestions from stakeholders, he said, adding that the Commission may also hold consultations with stakeholders on the proposed rules, although no final decision has yet been made. About the possible timeframe for the elections, Rahmanel Masud said the period from late October to March next would be most suitable for the arrangement of elections. Asked about the EC’s priority Rahmanel Masud, “We will suggest holding elections based on needs. In that case, elections to union parishads and municipalities should come first and elections to city corporations should be held at the last stage.” When attention was drawn to local body elections marred by violence in the past, he said the current election commission, headed by AMM Nasir Uddin, would be very careful to make the upcoming elections free from violence like the 13th parliamentary election that was most peaceful. “We’ll be very careful so that there are no casualties in local body elections. We’ll arrange the staggered elections to deploy a larger number of law enforcers in the election areas,” he said, stressing the need for cooperation from all stakeholders in maintaining a peaceful election environment. The Election Commissioner said the EC would initially rely on regular law enforcement agencies, including police, RAB, BGB and Ansar, to maintain law and order during the elections. If necessary, the armed forces may be deployed later, he added. According to EC estimates, elections to 12 city corporations (excluding newly formed Bogura city corporation),  over 450  upazila parishads, more than 300 municipalities and 61 zila parishads are already overdue and can be held immediately without legal complications. Besides, the legal timeframe for holding elections to around 600 union parishads began in April, making polls mandatory by October next. The 180-day countdown for elections in more than 2,800 additional union parishads will begin by July. As the local body elections are arranged at the request from the local government division, the EC will announce election schedules after receiving a green signal from the government.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) wants to extend support in training the polling agents of all candidates, not political parties, ahead of the next general election, said Election Commission Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Thursday. “No training for parties. If we can work (training for) together with the agents of the parties who will be at the polling stations, we will get better results. They (United Nations electoral need assessment team) have received such demand from the field,” he said. National election likely by year end or early 2026: EC Masud The EC secretary said this, replying to a question from reporters after his meeting with an UNDP delegation, led by UNDP resident representative Stefan Liller in Nirbachan Bhaban here. Akhtar Ahmed said the UNDP team sat with the Election Commission after 10 days to inform the electoral need assessment report. "They came back today after 10 days and gave us feedback. They talked to various political parties and civil society. They saw the situation firsthand. Based on this, they decided to provide us with some assistance,” he said. The EC senior secretary said the UNDP will support the commission over some logistics such as cameras, computers, hardware; and training to develop skills of the officials and also stakeholders.  2024: A year of mass uprising that reshaped Bangladesh’s Election Commission The UNDP wants to provide assistance over training of agents of all candidates, he added.   Following meetings with the election commissioners and EC officials on January 14, the UNDP started assessing the needs to provide assistance to the Election Commission to hold the next parliamentary elections. The need assessment was completed within 10 days following talks with the Commission and other stakeholders, including civil society, academicians and political parties. Election Commission ramps up preparations for national election   Earlier, the Election Commission sent the United Nations a letter requesting assistance before the UN could provide technical assistances to the commission.

The newly formed Election Commission (EC), headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, has sat for its first meeting. The meeting began at 11am at room No-314 of the Bhaban, said EC sources.  All the commissioners -- Md Anwarul Islam Sarker, Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Begum Tahmida Ahmad and Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah – are there in the meeting. Broken criminal justice system needs to be fixed: CA's Press Secretary The interim government formed the EC on November 21, making former secretary Nasir Uddin as the CEC. On September 5, the previous EC, led by Kazi Habibul Awal, stepped down from the post amid severe criticism for their controversial roles in holding elections, including the 2024-national election. 

The final number of voters in the voter list updation-2022 will be published on Thursday marking the National Voter Day. With this, the Election Commission (EC) is going to observe the voter day for the fifth time this year with the slogan ‘will be voter following rules and vote for the competent candidates’.   The EC chalked out several programmes to observe the day to be launched through bringing out a rally from in front of the EC Bhaban in participation with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other commissioners around 8.30am. A discussion meeting on the importance and significance of the voter day will be held in the EC Bhaban around 4pm. CEC Kazi Habibul Awal will attend as the chief guest.  Apart from this, an enthralling cultural event is scheduled to be held on Thursday evening. Three election officers will be honoured  for discharging duties with competency and credit. Along with the EC headquarters, the voter day will be observed in a befitting manner at all offices across the country tomorrow. The election affairs body ‘FEMBoSA’ belonging to SAARC decided to observe the voter day on March 2 every year in 2013.   Later, a proposal was sent to the EC with the recommendation to observe the day as the National Voter Day. The EC unanimously took the decision to mark the day every year since then.   

By-elections to the five parliamentary seats, left vacant after BNP MPs resigned, will be held on February 1, 2023. The Election Commission (EC) announced the schedule of the by-elections on Sunday after a meeting.  Read more: BNP MPs’ vacant seats: EC to announce schedule of by-polls Nov 18 The election schedule was finalised at a meeting of the EC with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal in the chair. EC will conduct the by-polls to parliamentary seats -- Thakurgaon-3, Bogura-4, Bogura-6, Chapainawabganj-2 and Brahmanbaria-2. The EC secretary said candidates can submit their nomination papers till January 5. Returning officers will scrutinize the nomination papers on January 8 and January 15 has been set as the last date for withdrawal of candidature. On December 11, five out of seven BNP members of the parliament (MPs) submitted their resignation to Speaker of Parliament Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, as part of their anti-government movement with a 10-point demand that includes dissolution of parliament. Read more: Gaibandha-5 by-polls: EC to take action against 133 officials The MPs who resigned were: Md. Zahidur Rahman, Thakurgaon-3; Md. Mosharof Hosen, Bogura-4; Gulam Mohammad Siraj, Bogura-6; Md. Aminul Islam, Chapainawabganj-2; and Rumeen Farhana, from women’s reserved seats. Md. Harunur Rashid of Chapainawabganj-3, who is now in Australia and the ailing MP of Brahmanbaria-2 Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan could not submit their resignations to the Speaker in person. The seven MPs sent their resignations through email on the same day. The Parliament Secretariat published a gazette notification announcing the parliamentary seats as vacant after their resignation.

The election to Rangpur City Corporation will be held on December 27. The election schedule was finalised at a meeting of the Election Commission (EC) with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal in the chair at the Election Commission Secretariat on Thursday. Read more:Govt to support Election Commission in holding fair election: Law Minister EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam announced the schedule after the meeting. He said the Commission has also decided to use electronic voting machines (EVMs) and CCTV cameras  in the election.  The balloting will start at 8.30 am and continue till 4.30 pm without any break. The election to the city corporation was held on December 21, 2017. The first meeting was held on February 19, 2017. The tenure will end after five years of the first meeting.The meeting also held an elaborate discussion on different local government elections and by-elections in vacant posts. Read more:EC directed to fix new date for Noakhali Zila Parishad election It also decided to hold elections to five municipalities and a number of union parishads on December 29. The five municipalities are—Bagha, Rajshahi, Birol, Dinajpur, Boda, Panchagarh, Alfadanga, Faridpur and Banpara, Natore.

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said if Bangladesh Jamaat-e Islami apply for the registration under different name then it will come under the notice of the Election Commission (EC). “The Election Commission will surely look into the matter,” the minister said in response to a question from reporters at the Secretariat. Hasan said any political party can apply to the EC to get registered and it is the EC which will decide whether any party will be given registration or not. His remarks came amid reports that all leaders of newly launched Bangladesh Democratic Party (BDP) that sought EC’s registration belong to Jamaat and its student front Shibir. BDP filed for registration on Wednesday. In 2013, the High Court declared the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami with the EC illegal effectively banning it from taking part in general elections. In 2018, the EC formally deregistered the Islamic fundamentalist party as it failed to fulfill its prerequisites. However, Jamaat is still operating as a legal political party amid calls from the secular forces to ban it for its role in the genocide during the Liberation War it vehemently opposed.  However, on Wednesday, Election Commissioner Md Alamgir said that Bangladesh Jamaat-e Islami can get registered with the EC under a different name if they fulfill all the conditions. Alamgir said the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami was cancelled as its charter was not consistent with the Constitution and the spirit of the Liberation War.

BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Wednesday said the roadmap announced by the Election Commission (EC) for the next general election is nothing but a 'conspiracy’ to prolong the stay of the Awami League government in power. "The current illegal Election Commission is trying to keep Awami League in power. The EC announced a roadmap as it’s a broker group (of Awami League).” Speaking at a doa-mahfil-cum discussion meeting, the BNP leader said Bangladesh is not a paternal property of the EC that the election will be held as per its roadmap without the participation of the opposition parties. “We, the democracy-loving people of Bangladesh, won’t sit idle sucking our fingers.” Read:Next national election by Jan 29, 2024; EVMs to be used in 150 constituencies Sammilita Chhatra O Jubo Forum arranged the programme at the Jatiya Press Club seeking early recovery of ailing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and party’s organising secretary Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu. Earlier in the day, the EC unveiled a roadmap for the 12th parliament election at a function at the auditorium of the Nirbachan Bhaban. As per the roadmap, the general election will be held by January 29, 2024, using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in 150 constituencies out of 300 across the country. Abbas, a BNP standing committee member, said the current EC does not want democracy as it is playing a subservient role by selling itself into slavery of the Awami League. “They're feet-licking dogs of foreign masters.” He also said their party is least bothered about the activities of the current EC and they are not interested in making comments about the commission. “Where we don't accept this government, why do we accept this EC?" The BNP leader said the country’s people will not accept any election under the ‘illegal’ regime of the Awami League. “No election will also be held under this EC. If they (EC) try, it will be resisted.” Read:Outline of anti-govt 'simultaneous' movement soon: Fakhrul He said their party’s now main goal is to topple the current government and restore democracy in the country. "Not only BNP but also now the people of entire Bangladesh have got united. We'll launch a united and simultaneous movement.” The BNP leader called upon people from all walks of life to make all-out preparations to put up a strong resistance against the current government and the Election Commission.

BNP senior Leader Mirza Abbas on Wednesday appreciated Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal for inviting their party to talks, but he said they will not participate in any dialogue with the Election Commission (EC) unless there is a change in the government.    “BNP was invited to join a dialogue with the Election Commission today (Wednesday). We didn’t take part in it as we neither understand and know Election Commission nor accept it,” he said. Speaking at a rally, the BNP leader said they want the EC to be reconstituted under a new government after the dissolution of the current parliament and the departure of the current government. “We’ll participate in that election and we will join the dialogue of that commission." In response to the CEC’s comment that BNP would be repeatedly invited to the EC, Abbas said, "We thank you (CEC). You would invite BNP again and again because you would not be able to hold the election without BNP.” He also warned that no one in Bangladesh has the ability to hold the election without BNP’s participation. “We won’t spare this failed, fraud and rogue government under any circumstances." Dhaka South City unit BNP arranged the rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club protesting indecent comments by a ruling party leader against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman.  Read: BNP fears grave economic crisis ahead Abbas, a BNP standing committee member, urged the government to quit power and hand over power to a neutral administration. "I say enough is enough. You (govt) please free the people now (from your misrule).” He said there is no problem for their part to accept if Awami League can come to power through an election under a non-party administration. "But the people of Bangladesh will never accept that you will be there in power without an election." Slamming Awami League general secretary Obaidur Quader’s comments that nothing matters if BNP does not participate in the election, Abbas said, “Even the CEC, the country’s people and Awami league understand that the election won’t be acceptable without BNP, but this government does not understand it.  Because the government thinks that they can come back to power without an election.” About the countrywide load-shedding, he said electricity generation at many power plants remains stopped causing the power outages, but the owners of those plants will continue to get money from the government. "Instructions have been given to keep ACs off in mosques and places of worship. But ACs will not be switched off in big government offices. Why will the AC be on there?’ he said. Abbas criticised the government for increasing the cost of the under-construction elevated metro rail project by 52.24 per cent like the Padma Bridge project. “The revised cost now stands at Tk 33,471.99 crore from Tk 21,985.07 crore. We understand due to the strong current of the river, the ground beneath the pillars of the Padma Bridge has shifted. Is the soil of Dhaka city now moving, forcing you to enhance the cost?

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday said joining talks with the current Election Commission (EC) is pointless since no commission can hold a  neutral credible election if Awami League stays in power. “Our experience in the last two elections is that if Awami League stays in power, no commission can conduct a credible and impartial election,” he said. Talking to reporters at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul said after boycotting the 2014 polls, they took part in the 2018 election based on the prime minister’s promises to hold an acceptable election. “But it was seen that the ballots were stuffed the night before the voting day. Considering these things, how do you (journalists) expect BNP to participate in a dialogue with the Election Commission? What will EC do? They have no power to do anything,” he said. Read:Don’t run away from election, CEC urges the political parties Don’t run away from election, CEC urges the political parties Fakhrul said whether or not the election will be fair and acceptable depends on the nature of the election-time government. “We have already seen that elections would not be fair if Sheikh Hasina remains the prime minister. So what will happen whether we join the EC’s talks or not? The BNP leader's comments came as the EC began talks with the registered political parties on Sunday morning to discuss issues relating to the 12th general election. Fakhrul said the  people do not want  to see any election under the Election Commission or under the current government. “That is why we are not making any comment on any dialogue, discussion or EVM issue of this commission. Because we don't believe that there can be a fair election under the current Election Commission. If there is no change in the government and if an impartial government does not come, there will be no election in this country,” he said. The BNP leader said the main crisis of the country is that there is no democracy here. “Election is the first door for democracy. But the electoral system of Bangladesh has been completely destroyed by Awami League.” He said four credible national elections were held in the country under the caretaker governments, but Awami League annulled the system only to hang onto power forever by holding polls under them. The BNP leader said it is fact that national elections are held under the partisan government in many countries that have strong democratic institutions and that have long been practising democracy. “But our political culture is that one political party does not trust another one in our country. Awami League itself has proved in the previous polls that there can be no acceptable election under a partisan government. They even forcibly rigged the local government elections.”