United News of Bangladesh

Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah on Sunday said there is no scope for irregularities in the expatriate voting process. “Live verification has been made mandatory and intelligence agency members will be deployed to ensure ballot security,” he said at a views exchange meeting with law enforcement cell and digital and observation teams at Barishal Circuit House in the morning. The Election Commissioner said ballots used for expatriate voters will carry a total of 119 symbols which may require comparatively more time for opening envelopes and counting votes accurately. He said only the presiding officer will be allowed to carry a pen inside the polling centre while all other officials and concerned personnel will use pencils. Sanaullah said 10 magistrates will be deployed in each constituency during voting and the commission is particularly alert to prevent irregularities through mobile financial services. He said several meetings have already been held to stop vote buying and selling and a specific transaction limit will be set to monitor financial dealings. Read more: Chhatra Dal protests Jamaat Ameer’s anti-women remarks on X He also instructed officials involved in election management to refrain from accepting any form of hospitality and stressed the need to counter misinformation and rumours by quickly delivering accurate and verified information to the public. He said necessary measures will be taken to ensure voting rights for elderly, disabled and injured voters, and CCTV cameras will be installed in all districts and every polling centre to ensure transparency. On election neutrality, Sanaullah said the Election Commission will maintain a firm stance on honesty and impartiality and  there will be no distinction between large and small parties. He warned that any official found showing bias despite clear instructions will face strict consequences and all election-related personnel must carry out their duties with firmness and that no leniency will be shown where irregularities occur. The meeting was chaired by Barishal District Returning Officer Khairul Alam Suman. Superintendent of Police Farzana Islam, among others, was present. Read more: Tarique’s campaign set to move to Khulna, Jashore on Monday The EC, headed by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, introduced the IT-supported hybrid postal balloting system with the combination of digital registration and manual balloting for the first time in the country for the expatriate Bangladeshis living in more than 120 foreign countries.