EC
Delimitation: 186 applications filed regarding redrawing of JS constituencies
The Election Commission has said 186 applications have been submitted so far regarding the redrawing of the boundaries of parliamentary constituencies.
“On February 26, the preliminary list of the boundaries of the parliamentary constituencies was published. The deadline for submitting claims and objections to the list was March 19. A total of 186 applications have been submitted during this period," the Election Commission's Joint Secretary SM Asaduzzaman told reporters on Monday.
The highest number of applications have been received in Comilla (84). The lowest number of applications have been filed in Mymensingh (1) and Chattogram (1).
Meanwhile, no applications were filed in Rangpur and Sylhet, Asadduzzaman said.
Among other districts, 43 applications have been received from Rajshahi, 29 from Barisal, 18 from Dhaka, and five each from Khulna and Faridpur.
Election Commissioner Anisur Rahman said: “The applications will be arranged based on constituencies. Then, the secretariat will work on how many objections have been received in which constituencies. The committee will then hold a hearing where the decision on any redrawing of constituencies will be made.”
EC sues Jubo League leader for snatching EVM ballot unit in Chattogram:Official
The Election Commission has filed a case against a Jubo League leader on charge of snatching an Electronic Voting Machine’s ballot unit panel from a polling centre during the Boalkhali Upazila Parishad election in Chattogram.
Presiding officer of the centre, Sajal Das, filed the case with Boalkhali Police Station last night against Nirmalendu Dey Sumon, the joint general secretary of Sreepur-Kharandwip Union Jubo League and son of late Gaurang Dey of ward-9.
Confirming the case, Boalkhali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Abdur Razzaque said, an investigation is underway regarding the matter.
Also Read: Pabna rickshaw-puller murder: Jubo League activist put on 3-day remand
Earlier yesterday, the Boalkhali Upazila Parishad by-election was held. However, there was no voter turnout throughout the day. Almost all the centres were empty.
In the meantime, around noon, Sumon entered room-5 of Jaistyapura Ramni Mohan High School centre in Sreepur-Kharandwip union and took away the EVM ballot unit panel from the polling room.
Assistant Presiding Officer Harunur Rashid protested, but the Jubo League leader did not pay heed to it.
Later, Union Awami League President Ratan Chowdhury recovered the EVM ballot unit panel and returned it to the centre.
Police detained Ratan for questioning in this connection and later released him.
Fate of EVMs in the 12th parliamentary elections hanging in the balance: EC Secretary
The use of the electronic voting machine (EVM) in the upcoming general election is hanging in the balance as it has not received the finance ministry's concession, an official said on Wednesday.
Election Commission secretary Md. Jahangir Alam said this after the 16th commission meeting at the election building on Wednesday.
After the government put on hold a new project proposal of around Tk 9.5 thousand crore, the government is now delaying the release of money for maintenance and repair of old EVMs.
“EVM manufacturing company Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF) said that we have 100,000 EVMs, which we will try our best to repair and use in the parliamentary elections subject to receipt of funds from the Finance Ministry. We can finalise the number of seats in which EVMs can be used,” he said.
The Election Commission bought 1.5 lakh EVMs in phases since 2018 at Tk 2.35 lakh each, almost 11 times more than in India.
Now, around five years later, 40,000 of those machines are beyond repair while the rest 1.1 lakh can be fixed but that requires around Tk 1,260 crore, according to a proposal from Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF).
Jahangir Alam said that the EC will send a letter to the Ministry of Finance to release the money. If the finance ministry agrees to pay, then in the next step EC can tell you in how many constituencies EVMs will be used.
In response to a question from reporters, the EC secretary said that they are thinking of using as much as possible. “The number of voters is different from place to place. So if smaller areas can be taken, more EVMs will be used and if in a large area, there will be less. So I can say rhat clearly after receiving the final report,” he added.
In response to another question, he said that the commission has always been saying that they will try their best to use EVMs in 70 to 80 seats.
“We have not moved away from that. The number of seats where EVMs will be used will depend on the number of EVM machines available. It depends on how many machines are available, how many of them can be made usable,” he added.
The then KM Nurul Huda Commission bought two lakh EVM machines before the 11th national elections in 2018. At that time they used EVMs in six constituencies in the national elections. The rest are used for local elections including by-elections to various constituencies. Some machines are stored in the BMTF warehouse. A total of one lakh machines became unusable.
Kazi Habibul Awal, after taking charge in February last year, discussed with various stakeholders and took up the plan to use EVMs in 150 seats. About four lakh machines are required for this. The Election Commission made a new proposal of Tk 8,711 crore to the government for the purchase and maintenance of two lakh more machines. But the Planning Commission decided to shelve the project proposal citing the global financial crisis.
Next national polls will be free and fair: PM Hasina tells US official
PM-Chollet, LdNext national polls will be free and fair: PM Hasina tells US official
Eds: Updates with details
Dhaka, Feb 15 (UNB) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the next parliamentary election will be fair and free as she is committed to democracy and the Election Commission is completely independent.
“The next election will be fair and free. I fought for democracy throughout my life,” she said.
Read More: Clashes, obstruction by ruling party mark BNP’s nationwide march programme
The premier said this when a US delegation, led by Counselor of the US Department of State Derek Chollet, paid a courtesy call on her at the latter’s official residence Ganabhaban.
PM’s Speechwriter Md Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the meeting.
Hasina said if the people vote for Awami League in the next general election, her party will take the charge of governing the country.
“I never want to come to power through vote-rigging,” she was quoted as saying.
Read More: Govt is preparing to hold a free, fair election: PM
The PM said she always struggled for the people’s rights to food and vote.
She said the first-ever EC’s reconstitution law was passed in parliament and then a neutral Election Commission was constituted on the basis of the law.
She said the EC is completely independent. It has administrative and financial independence, she added.
Bangladesh is due to elect its next parliament by end of this year or first week of January next year.
Read More: Next general election to be held first week of 2024: PM Hasina announces at Cox’s Bazar rally
The last parliamentary election was held on December 30, 2018.
The prime minister said no political parties in the country other than Awami League have bases at the grassroots level. Opposition BNP and Jatiya Party were born in the cantonments, she noted.
She said AL has been in power only for 19 years in the 51-year history of the country’s independence. The anti-Awami League forces were in power for 29 years and there was no democratic polity during their regimes.
Focusing on the development of Bangladesh in different socio-economic indexes, she said the transformation of the country has become visible in the last 14 years during her government. It has been possible due to the continued democratic practice and stability in the country, she added.
Read More: EC to purchase 700mt paper from Karnaphuli Mills ahead of national election
Nazrul said the Russia-Ukraine war and Rohingya issues also came up for the discussion in the meeting.
PM Hasina tells the US delegation that the world should stop this war right now as it has caused high inflation and commodity prices throughout the globe.
“A war never can bring any benefit for the human kind,” she said.
Noting that the USA is the most powerful country, she said it can stop the war anytime. The disputes can be settled through negotiation, she said.
Read more: ‘Bir Nibash’: PM gives away keys to 5000 houses for disadvantaged freedom fighters
About Rohingyas, the PM said the displaced Myanmar nationals have become a big burden for Bangladesh. The local communities in Cox’s Bazar are suffering and they have become minority due to the influx of such a huge number of Myanmar nationals there.
She said the Rohingya peoples are being involved in different criminal activities like drug trafficking, human trafficking, militancy and infightings.
The premier said the displaced Myanmar nationals have been staying in Cox’s Bazar for five years and now it is difficult to keep them there as its natural environment and the livelihood of locals are at stake.
She said her government arranged different facilities, including income generating programmes, to ensure better life of the Rohingya people on Bhashanchar island.
Read More: EVMs to be used partially again in next JS election: EC
She asked the world community to provide their assistance to Rohingya people on Bhashanchar.
Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar and Bhasanchar, she said
PM Hasina also asked the international community to try their best for speedy and amicable repatriation of the Rohingya refugees. to Myanmar, their homeland.
Derek Chollet thanked the prime minister for giving shelter to the Rohingya people on humanitarian ground.
Read More: CEC estimates 15 to 20 percent by-poll voter turnout in 6 JS seats left vacant by BNP
He said they would try their best for the repatriation of the displaced people.
However, the Counselor to the Secretary of State of the United States said the repatriation will be possible when a democratic government returns to power in Myanmar.
He said some recent high-level visits of US officials are reflection of the importance of the bilateral relations between the two countries. This relation will grow further, Chollet added.
He said there are potentials to deepen the bilateral relations, but there are some challenges here.
Read More: EVM purchasing suspended, not cancelled: EC secretary
Chollet arrived here on Tuesday for a 24-hour stay in Bangladesh.
PM’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas were present.
EC to purchase 700mt paper from Karnaphuli Mills ahead of national election
The Election Commission will purchase paper from the state-owned Karnaphuli Paper Mills (KPM) ahead of the upcoming national parliamentary election.
AKM Anisuzzaman, managing director of KMP, said EC collected paper from the mill for use as ballot paper in the national election. The EC has sent a letter seeking 700 mt of paper and those will be provided to the EC in time as per their demand, he said.
Read more: Production at Karnaphuli Paper Mills resumes after 25 days
Sources said paper in three colours -- yellow, blue and pink -- are needed for ballot paper. This year the KMP will provide the colour papers as per the demand of the EC.
Papers of KPM are also supplied to different government organisations and universities.
Besides, the government is using the paper of KPM in textbooks, provided to students for free.
Read More: EVM purchasing suspended, not cancelled: EC secretary
Despite some limitations, KPM, since 75 years of its establishment, has been providing high-quality paper to different organisations due to its huge demand.
Gaibandha-5 by-polls: Festive mood as voting underway
Voting in the by-election for Gaibandha-5 constituency, which was suspended due to irregularities, is underway with participation of voters in a festive mood.
Voting started at 8 am and will continue till 4:30 pm. No untoward incident was reported till the filing of this report around 10 am.
People were seen standing in long queues since morning, ignoring the cold.
The presence of female voters is comparatively higher than their male counterparts.
A total of 3,39,743 people are expected to exercise their franchise in 145 polling centres. Of them, 1,70,160 are females and 1,69,583 are male.
District Election Officer and Returning officer Abdul Motaleb said that of the 145 polling centres, 72 are consider "important" while 32 are counted as "most important".
Read: EC has 'no legal obligation' to bring parties to election
All preparations have been taken to hold a smooth, free and fair election, he said.
Elections will be monitored through CCTV cameras as done before.
Rab, police, BGB and Ansar members will remain deployed to hold the election peacefully, said Motaleb.
The candidates of the Gaibandha-5 by-election are: Awami League candidate Mahmud Hasan Ripon, Jatiya Party candidate AHM Golam Shaheed Ranju, Bikalpa Dhara candidate Advocate Jahangir Alam and independent candidate Syed Mahbubur Rahman.
The constituency consists of Saghata and Phulchhari upazilas.
On October 12 last year, the Election Commission (EC) suspended the by-election due to “rampant irregularities” on the election day and later the commission fixed January 4 for holding the polls.
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. Accordingly it was scheduled for October 12.
A three-member committee was formed to look into the election irregularities on October 12 last year.
Following the recommendations of the committee, the Election Commission took punitive actions against 133 officials including an additional deputy commissioner, five sub-inspectors and returning officer of the election.
Read More: EC to delve into slow voting complaint in Rangpur City Corporation Polls
EC has 'no legal obligation' to bring parties to election
Election Commissioner Anisur Rahman has said the Election Commission has no legal obligation to convince any party which does not want to participate in the election otherwise.
He made this comment in response to the questions of journalists at the Election Building on Sunday..
"The Chief Election Commissioner also said last week that it is not our responsibility to bring anyone to the polls," Anisur said."It is not the responsibility of any party or anyone to get elected. We have called, hoping they will come."
Read: Election violence under present EC drops to zero: CEC
This commissioner also said that they will do whatever is necessary to create a suitable environment for the election, after that if no one comes there is no legal obligation to bring them.
"We will not do that. They will do their work. We will do our work. We will try to say that we want participatory elections. Hope that there will be participatory elections," he said.
He said the BNP has not supported them since day one. "Let them take part in the polls and say that the election is not fair,"
Read: No new dialogue possible with BNP or any other party: CEC
"There is no such thing as an end in politics. We made Rangpur City elections fair during the party government. We have shown that fair elections are possible under the party government," he added.
Anisur said that it is desirable that the party will join the election. "They have not even participated in an election under us. Let the participants say that the vote was not fair."
No budget for CCTV monitoring in by-elections: Election commissioner
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.
EC: Updated draft voter list to be published on Jan 15
The Election Commission will publish the draft of an updated voter list on January 15.
According to a letter sent to all election officers at local level on Monday, the date has been delayed 13 days from the usual date of January 2 for publishing the voter list.
The letter signed by Assistant Secretary of Election Commissioner Md Mosharraf Hossain, said the upazila level election officers will publish the voter list of respective areas on January 15.
The decision of renewing the voter list was taken immediately after Kazi Habibul Awal was appointed as Chief Election Commissioner on February 26 this year.
Read more: 5 BNP MPs’ resignation: Election to vacant seats within 90 days, EC says
After 2019, the updating of voters’ lists began this year by collecting information from every house for three weeks. Inclusion of new voters, exclusion of deceased and transferring those who changed location was done during the process.
Information of those who were born before January 1, 2007, and are eligible to become voters was collected.
After that photo, fingerprint and iris identification information were collected at designated registration centers.
Read more: Next general election to be held first week of 2024: PM Hasina announces at Cox’s Bazar rally
After resolving the objections about the draft list the final list will be published in March next year and the enlisted voters will be eligible to vote for 12th parliamentary election.
Currently there are 11,32,87,010 voters in the country and of them 5,76,89,529 are men 5,55,97,027 women and 454 are transgender.
5 BNP MPs’ resignation: Election to vacant seats within 90 days, EC says
Election Commissioner Md Alamgir said on Sunday that elections to seats left vacant, after 5 BNP MPs resigned, will be held within 90 days as per the constitution.
He came up with the remark while speaking with journalists at his office in Election Commission Bhaban in Dhaka, after news of resignation of five BNP MPs emerged.
“We are yet to get a gazette of the vacant seats. If they (BNP MPs) truly resigned, the election to vacant seats will be held within 90 days,” he said, adding that the gazette will be circulated after the Speaker or Deputy Speaker receives the resignation letters.
EC Commissioner Alamgir said there is a constitutional obligation to hold elections for the vacant seats within 90 days after seats get vacated.
Read more: 5 parliamentary seats now vacant after BNP MPs’ resignation: Speaker
Asked about the resignation of the BNP MPs, he said they saw the matter as normal and an MP can resign.
“It is narrated in the constitution, how the resignation can go, here the EC has nothing to gain or lose,” he said.
Earlier today, five out of seven BNP members of the parliament (MPs) submitted their resignation to Speaker of the Parliament Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, as part of their anti-government movement with a 10-point demand that includes dissolution of parliament. The BNP MPs submitted their resignation letters at 12:20 pm.
The MPs who resigned are: 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: 5 BNP MPs submit resignation to JS Speaker
Md. Harunur Rashid of Chapainawabganj-3, who is now in Australia and ailing MP of Brahmanbaria-2 Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan could not submit resignation to the Speaker today.
Earlier, Rumeen Farhana announced the decision from the party’s Golapbagh rally on Saturday.
The MPs sent their resignation through an email on Saturday.
BNP on Saturday unveiled a 10-point charter of demands from Golapbagh rally aimed at unseating the government through a simultaneous movement.