Staff Reporter:
The Election Commission (EC) will announce the schedule for elections to the reserved women’s seats in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad on April 8 for voting on May 12, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said yes-terday.
He made the remarks at a briefing following the 11th Commission meeting held at the Nirbachon Com-mission at city’s Agargaon.
Akhtar Ahmed said that parties represented in the parliament will nominate their candidates in propor-tion to their number of seats and those nominees will effectively be elected. According to the allocation, the BNP alliance will receive 36 seats, the Jamaat alliance 13 seats and one seat will go to an independ-ent.
He added that the political parties represented in the parliament have already submitted their party and alliance lists to the Election Commission.
As per the law, the election must be completed within 90 days of the publication of the official gazette of the general election results. The gazette was published on February 13, setting the deadline for com-pleting the process by May 14. The Commission aims to complete the election process within this timeframe.
Responding to a question about the by-elections in Bogura-6 and Sherpur-3 scheduled for April 9, the EC Secretary said the Commission is giving them the same importance as the February 12 polls.
Voting will be held at a total of 129 centers, including postal voting centers, in Sherpur-3, and at 151 centers, including postal voting centers, in Bogura-6.
He said the electoral environment in both constituencies remains normal and the Commission is prioritiz-ing the security measures similar to those taken during national elections.
The EC Secretary also said that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will not be used in local govern-ment elections. Three separate institutions have reviewed the use of EVMs and the Commission will take necessary steps based on their reports.
He further noted that there are 50 cases related to the 13th parliamentary elections. Election materials for the concerned constituencies will be preserved until the cases are resolved, potentially for up to one year if necessary. For the two constituencies where results have been stayed by court order, the Commission will act in accordance with court decisions.
Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin chaired the meeting, which was attended by Election Commissioners Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Begum Tahmida Ahmed, Md Anowarul Islam Sarker, and Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah, along with senior officials of the EC Secretariat.
