Participation of all political parties in the next general election would not depend on the Election Commission, but rather the decision of the political parties themselves, an Election Commissioner said Sunday. “Whether all the political parties will participate in the general election or not, depends on the decision of the respective political parties and the Election Commission has no involvement in it,” Election Commissioner Anisur Rahman said, while talking to reporters at Kishoreganj Circuit House. NID server down since this morning: Election Commission  “We are determined to create an election-friendly environment and we’ll do it. In the past one and half years we have urged the political parties to participate in the election and we are urging them repeatedly even now,” said Anisur. Election Commission didn’t dig its own grave: CEC “Whether the election would be participatory will depend on the decision of the political parties. The Election Commission has no scope to interfere in it. We have taken preparations to hold elections as per the constitution,” he said.

Election Commissioner Md. Alamgir on Monday said the Election Commission (EC) is not using CC cameras in the by-elections of the vacant five parliamentary seats left by BNP MPs' resignations due to lack of budget. He said this in his office at the election building to the reporters. "There is no budget for installing CCTV cameras in this election. Installation of CC cameras is not possible with Annual Development Programme(ADP) allocation. ADP money can be spent on projects. For CC cameras, money has to be allocated from the revenue sector," he said. Saying 'CC cameras are not a solution' Commissioner Alamgir said the Election Commission (EC) does not see any need for this device. Many elections did not have CCTV cameras, yet no incidents occurred. Read more: By-elections to 5 vacant seats of BNP MPs on Feb 1, 2023 "Polls for five seats will be competitive. It will have balance. As a result, there will be no need for CC cameras," he added. The commissioner also said that the commission can meet and take a decision if necessary to use it as there is plenty of time for selection. By-elections to the five parliamentary seats, left vacant after BNP MPs resigned, will be held on February 1, 2023. 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. 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. Read more: Democratic practice won't develop without electoral competition: CEC 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.

Election Commissioner Begum Rashida Sultana on Tuesday said exemplary punishment will be meted out to those involved in the malpractices during last month's Gaibandha-5 by-election, describing it as an isolated case. She said this in response to a question from journalists at her office on Tuesday. She said that the Election Commission does not want to see a repeat of the irregularities that happened in the Gaibandha-5 by-election in the upcoming Rangpur City Corporation polls. Read more: Decision on Gaibandha-5 polls in 7 days: CEC "The incident of Gaibandha was an isolated case. That won't happen in Rangpur City Corporation. We are sending the message to Rangpur Returning Officer, Assistant Returning Officer and everyone that we do not want to see such an election,” she also said. When asked about the role of the local administration, Rasheda Sultana said, "We do not believe that the local administrations will not cooperate in the election as the environment in some elections including Faridpur-2 constituency and Zila Parishads was very good. The local administration supported us well.” Read more: Suspension of Gaibandha-5 by-polls was right, former commissioners tell EC Rasheda Sultana said that the investigation report of the irregularities in the voting of Gaibandha-5 constituency has been prepared. However, the commission has not yet discussed it. The probe committee formed to look into the Gaibandha-5 by-election, which the Election Commission (EC) postponed citing irregularities, submitted its report on October 27. Election Commission's Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath who headed the committee submitted the report to EC Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandaker. Read more: Gaibandha-5 by-polls: EC vows to take offending officials to task The EC suspended the election because of “widespread malpractices” on the election day on October 12. It also extended the deadline for holding any fresh election to the Gaibandha-5 parliamentary seat by three months, till January 20, 2023. Following the death of Gaibandha-5 lawmaker and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Fazle Rabbi Miah on July 22, 2022, it became a constitutional obligation to hold election for the parliamentary seat by October 20, 2022.

Election Commissioner (EC) Md. Alamgir on Tuesday said that manipulation in the electronic voting machine (EVM) is not possible as chips are made for one-time use. “There is no chance to rewrite anything. Also, there is no chance to change the programming,” he told reporters at the Election Commission Secretariat in Dhaka. He said that many think it is a machine to rig the election, but experts suggest otherwise. “From my experience of past elections, I have seen that there is no scope for tampering with EVMs. The commission also asked the political parties to check EVMs by their own technical teams,” he said. The commissioner said that the first thing to say about EVMs is that results can be reversed by programming. He said that such a statement may be theoretically right, but practically wrong. “You can say that one company's drugs may be adulterated, but not all other companies' drugs are adulterated. The point is that our EVM is different. Many say it is like EVMs used in India. Actually, it cannot be compared with India’s ones,” he added. Also read: EVM better than ballot, say experts He also added that voter identification is done manually in EVMs in India while in Bangladesh it is done electronically. He said that since Bangladesh has a voter database with photo and fingerprint, EVMs in Bangladesh can identify real voters where India does not have the opportunity to do so. Secondly, the programming done for EVMs in Bangladesh can only add, he said adding that voters can only vote. It cannot do anything else, and programming has been done that way, he said. “So, there is no chance that someone can manipulate the device, not even from outside. So, once it is written there is no chance to rewrite or edit as it is usable for one time,” he said. Alamgir, also a former EC Secretary, said that EVMs in Bangladesh do not have any connection with the Internet. Also read: It’s mockery with nation, says Fakhrul about EC’s Tk 8,711cr project to buy EVMs “The connection provided with the ballot unit is customisable. Nothing can be inserted into it. You cannot add any other device except the device that is created for this EVM only.” He added that EVMs used in Bangladesh only add and subtract like a calculator. As calculators do not have the option to change the programme, these machines are also the same. “Those who are spreading misinformation about EVMs do not know or understand it. They can check any EVM if they want,” he said. The EC commissioner also said that the advantage of voting in EVMs is that there is no opportunity to vote before or after the election. There is no opportunity to cast a vote without a voter. “If the voters do not come to the centres, there is no chance to cast the vote. If 10 percent voters turn up, only 10 percent votes can be cast. On the other hand, it is possible for 10 percent of voters to actually vote 100 percent on the ballot. Hence there is no chance of fraud through EVM,” he said. In response to another question, he said that strict action will be taken against the candidates, agents who would assist in rigging in polling stations. He said that the agents cannot be kept out of the polling stations as political parties will not accept it. END/UNB/SI/JA

Election Commissioner Md Alamgir said on Wednesday that Bangladesh Jamaat-e Islami can get registration under a different name if they fulfill all the conditions. “If anyone seeks registration, they will have to come up as a new party. If they fulfill all the conditions, they will get registration. And if they fail, they will not get it,” he said. He made the comment when he talked to reporters at his office at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city’s Agargaon area. Read:Bangladesh Development Party seeks EC registration 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. “If now any new political party applies for registration and their charter is consistent with our Constitution and the spirit of the Liberation War, there is no war criminal among them and fulfills all other conditions, you can’t brand someone as a Jamaat man,” he said. He, however, said there is no scope for any party to get registered as Jamaat-e-Islami now. The deadline for new political parties to apply for registration will expire on October 30. The High Court declared the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami illegal in 2013 and the EC cancelled its registration in 2018. Read:EC directed to fix new date for Noakhali Zila Parishad election Replying to another question, he said the provision for the registered political parties to ensure at least 33 percent women in their all-level committees by 2030 was not so realistic. “Those who incorporate it in the law didn’t consider the reality,” he said, adding that the political parties were also not so sincere to fulfill the provision. Alamgir said the Election Commission has now recommended the extension of the deadline for fulfilling the target to 2030. According to the Representation of Public Order, a registered political party needs to fix the goal of reserving at least 33 percent of all committee positions for women including the central committee and successively achieving this goal by 2020. But the political parties failed to meet the goal by 2020.

A six-member search committee, led by Appellate Division Justice Obaidul Hasan, has been formed to suggest the names of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners. A gazette in this regard was issued on Saturday. The other members of the committee are High Court Division Justice SM Kuddus Zaman, the Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh Md Muslim Chowdhury, Chairman of the Public Service Commission Md Sohrab Hossain, former election commissioner Muhammad Sohul Hussain and noted writer Anwara Syed Haque. The committee will perform responsibility as per the Appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners Bill 2022. On January 27, parliament passed the “Appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners Bill-2022". READ: Bangladesh one step away to have a law on EC formation Though the Constitution suggests the appointment of the CEC and other election commissioners under a law, the law was not formulated in the past. Article 118 (1) of the Constitution states, “There shall be an Election Commission for Bangladesh consisting of 1[the Chief Election Commissioner and not more than four Election Commissioners] and the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (if any) shall, subject to the provisions of any law made in that behalf, be made by the President.” READ: Report on EC formation Bill placed in parliament The tenure of the incumbent commission, led by CEC KM Nurul Huda, will expire on February 14.

Uncontested elections are a serious concern for the state of democracy, Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukder said Tuesday. Referring to the series of unopposed winners in the ongoing Union Parishad (UP) elections as a matter of concern, EC Mahbub Talukder said it is “probably not possible, nor even appropriate” in a democratic state structure to encourage uncontested elections.  He said this to the reporters, after a meeting on the UP election law and order situation at Chattogram circuit house. Mahbub Talukder said that a trend has been set.  "As 360 UP chairmen have been elected unopposed, according to the newspapers and 1,600 candidates have been elected unopposed to other posts, such a culture has developed.” READ: 2 children fall to death from an election campaign van In order to get out of this situation, we need to consider whether we need to make any changes in the electoral system or not, he said In the sixth phase of UP elections, voting will be done by EVM system. “We have taken this as a challenge. The schedule has already been announced. Every effort will be made to make this election fair,” he added The speakers at the meeting discussed the law and order situation ahead of the fourth phase of UP elections on December 26. EC Mahbub Talukder was the chief guest at the meeting, which  was chaired by Divisional Commissioner Kamrul Hasan.

An official of the Chattogram Election Commission died at a hospital in Dhaka on Friday, three days after testing positive for Covid-19. Ataur Rahman, 45, was an election officer with the Chattogram EC district office. He died while undergoing treatment at the Dhaka hospital, said Md Kamrul Alam, the Additional Election Officer of Chattogram. Ataur was flown to Dhaka for treatment on March 25 after he complained of breathing difficulties and had high fever and cold. And he tested positive for Covid on March 29, Kamrul Alam said. Meanwhile, for the third time in four days, Bangladesh recorded its highest daily coronavirus cases as the health authorities confirmed 6,469 new infections on Thursday afternoon. The infection rate jumped to 22.94 percent from 19.9 percent of Wednesday’s when the country recorded 5,358 cases, the highest in months. On Tuesday, 5,042 cases were recorded and the number was 5,181 on Monday. The fatalities reached 9,105 with 59 new deaths.

Mentioning that the absence of the opposition in polling stations has made the elections to the two city corporations questionable, Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar on Tuesday said the reform of the election process and a change in the election management are a must.

Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar has said less than 25 percent voters exercised their franchise in the elections to the two Dhaka city corporations on Saturday.