[🇧🇩] Forming Election Commission/Conducting Elections

[Saif]

AL won’t be allowed to run in nat’l polls

Calling the party fascist and anti-state, Mahfuj Alam, adviser to the interim government, yesterday said the Awami League would not be allowed to take part in the general election.

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AL won’t be allowed to run in nat’l polls
Says Adviser Mahfuj

Photo: Alam Palash

Calling the party fascist and anti-state, Mahfuj Alam, adviser to the interim government, yesterday said the Awami League would not be allowed to take part in the general election.

"The elections will be contested among pro-Bangladesh groups only. All political parties, whether BNP-Jamaat or others, along with student organisations, workers, women, and scholars who are pro-Bangladesh, will establish future governance through a fair electoral process."

He made these remarks while exchanging greetings with students and locals at Hajiganj Bazar in Chandpur, reports a correspondent in Chandpur.

"We're working to establish a stable democratic Bangladesh, free from Awami fascism. If the Awami League returns, fascism will return with it," said Mahfuj.

He claimed that the people of the country do not want to see the era of Sheikh Mujib or Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh anymore.

"The new Bangladesh rejects the fascist system. We want Bangladesh to remain in the hands of true patriots. There will be no place for pro-Delhi elements in Bangladesh," added Mahfuj.

The adviser further said they would soon start talks with political parties and stakeholders and hold elections to facilitate democratic transformation, after carrying out minimum reforms based on the report of reform commissions.

"It is our commitment to ensure justice to the killings during the July uprising and to carry out reform of the institutions that were destroyed by fascist Hasina. We are also committed to holding free and fair elections for the sake of democratic transition."

Mahfuj, however, said that if the election is held without minimum reforms to the institutions that Hasina used to perpetrate genocide and oppress people, those same institutions will remain in place.

Hajiganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tapas Shil, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Hajiganj Police Station Mohiuddin Farooq, leaders of Students Against Discrimination and Jatiya Nagorik Committee were present.

Later in the day in Ramganj Government College in Lakshmipur, Mahfuj said there is no probability of military rule in Bangladesh, reports our Noakhali correspondent.

"We did not overthrow Hasina with the support of any state this time. We overthrew Hasina with the blood of the students and the people. We no longer need to obey anyone. We have brought independence in exchange for our own blood ... We will not bow to anyone again."​

 

[Saif]

Hold election soon to return country’s ownership to people: BNP

Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Sunday called for the holding of general elections soon, emphasising the need for returning the country’s ownership to the people.

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Hold election soon to return country’s ownership to people: BNP
Staff Correspondent 27 January, 2025, 00:13

Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Sunday called for the holding of general elections soon, emphasising the need for returning the country’s ownership to the people.

Besides, the party’s standing committee member, Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, urged students to avoid forming ‘King’s parties’ and instead establish political organisations independently, free from government influence.

Amir Khosru observed that democracy in Bangladesh cannot thrive without ensuring that the country’s ownership lies in the hands of its people.

He made these remarks at a discussion titled ‘The role of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman in establishing multi-party democracy and a sovereign independent country’, organised by the National People’s Party at the National Press Club in the capital Dhaka on Sunday.

He cautioned that delaying the election could create confusion among the public, jeopardising the democratic process.

He said that it was the people, particularly students, had forced the fascist Awami League government to relinquish power.

‘There is no alternative to holding the election quickly. If delayed, it could lead to chaos, and democracy could collapse,’ he said, asserting that it is the people who will decide the future of governance in the country.

‘If anyone tries to seize the state power like Sheikh Hasina or Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did, they will be met with resistance,’ he added.

At a separate event organised by the Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Muktijoddha Dal to mark the 89th birth anniversary of former president Ziaur Rahman at the Dhaka Reporters Unity, Hafiz urged for the political unity across various segments of society, including political leaders, students and the ordinary people, for greater national interests.

Hafiz highlighted the urgent need for electoral reforms, asserting that a free and fair election must be held without any further delay.

He observed that the necessary reforms could be completed within three months.

‘In 1971, we fought for an elected government. Why are we still debating the need for an elected government today?’ he questioned.

Hafiz also paid tribute to Ziaur Rahman, praising his leadership during the Liberation War of 1971, and reiterated the call for reforms to restore democracy in Bangladesh.

BNP joint secretary general Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie said that his party’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s demand for holding the next general elections under a neutral government was very much logical.

‘The country’s people want the same thing, for which the common people are fighting, struggling and waging movements. It will not be wise to counter the demand as it may create another critical time for the nation,’ he said.

He was addressing an annual sports competition programme at the Collegiate High School ground in Laxmipur.​

 

[Saif]

Take opportunity of improved business climate, urges CA Press Secy amid business leaders’ call for quick polls

Business leaders should concentrate on seizing the opportunity of the improved business climate created by the present government, said Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, on Sunday. He made these remarks during a press briefing when asked to comment on business leaders’ ple

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Take opportunity of improved business climate, urges CA Press Secy amid business leaders’ call for quick polls
FE Online Report
Published :
Jan 26, 2025 21:09
Updated :
Jan 26, 2025 21:21

Business leaders should concentrate on seizing the opportunity of the improved business climate created by the present government, said Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, on Sunday.

He made these remarks during a press briefing when asked to comment on business leaders’ plea to hold general elections as soon as possible.

In response to another question, Mr Alam said that the closure of ready-made garment units has not hampered export growth, and most of the closed factories are owned by the oligarchs of the previous regime, who are either in jail or have fled the country.

They plundered banks and siphoned off millions of dollars, leaving workers unpaid, he noted.

Mr Alam also criticised Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, the home minister of the Sheikh Hasina regime, calling him a “butcher” for ordering an indiscriminate killing of students, children, workers and innocent people during the July Revolution.

“Providing shelter to such a butcher is not at all acceptable,” he remarked.

Regarding the Chief Advisor’s recent visit to Davos, his press secretary mentioned that the Chief Adviser held meetings with top global business firms on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, where they showed huge interest in investing in Bangladesh.

He added that the government is serious about improving port management to lure more foreign investors and enhance the business climate.

Replying to a question about rumours on social media claiming that the advisers of the interim government, including the Chief Adviser, fled the country, Mr Alam said these rumours are being spread by elements of the previous regime who have already fled the country.

He informed that the government is planning to hold an international conference on the Rohingya issue in Dhaka in September next.

The Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary said the Chief Adviser, during his meetings with top world leaders, sought their assistance in repatriating the laundered money.

However, he noted that it would be a “lengthy procedure.”​

 

[Saif]

Election Commission has no favourites: EC Sanaullah

The Election Commission has no favourites, nor it is on anyone's side, said Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Mohammad Sanaullah today

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Election Commission has no favourites: EC Sanaullah

Photo: Star

The Election Commission has no favourites, nor it is on anyone's side, said Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Mohammad Sanaullah today.

"We stand for fairness and justice... we want to return people their voting rights," he said at a meeting with data collectors, supervisors, and new voters on the occasion of the voter list update programme.

The event was held at the Panchagarh deputy commissioner's conference room.

He said, "The people will decide who their representatives will be -- not anyone else. This will not happen in the Election Commission office, the district commissioner's veranda, the superintendent of police's porch, or in any intelligence agency office."

He said they are committed to hold a free and fair election. However, he said this was a significant task and could not be achieved by the EC alone.

"The Election Commission will lead from the front and coordinate, but the implementation of this work will be carried out by everyone at the grassroots level," he added.​

 

[Saif]

EC preparing to hold polls with year-end on mind

The Election Commission is preparing with an aim to hold the next national election in December, said Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah, an election commissioner, yesterday.

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EC preparing to hold polls with year-end on mind
Says Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah

The Election Commission is preparing with an aim to hold the next national election in December, said Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah, an election commissioner, yesterday.

"The chief adviser in his speech has already indicated that it might be possible to conduct the national election at the end of this year or the first half of 2026. So, we are taking preparation targeting to hold the polls in December," he said.

"But it's a matter of [political] consensus as to when the election will be held," the election commissioner said while talking to reporters after a meeting on updating the voter list at the Thakurgaon Road Degree College.

When the polls will be held lies with the government, not the EC, Sanaullah said.

"But we will ensure that those performing election duties at the grassroots level act professionally and impartially," he said, adding, "Our aim is to hold a free, fair, and credible election."

The election commissioner also hoped that the task of updating the voter list would be completed in March.

At another event in Dinajpur, Sanaullah urged the EC officials to make sure that Rohingyas do not get in the voter list.

Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin yesterday said they do not want the EC's independence enshrined in the constitution to be compromised.

He told reporters after a meeting with European Union Ambassador Michael Miller at the EC office.

The EU ambassador also opined that the EC should remain independent. Otherwise, the nation's expectations cannot be fulfilled, the CEC said.

While speaking at a programme on Sunday, Nasir said that there is no doubt that the EC's independence will be curtailed if some of the Electoral Reform Commission's recommendations are implemented.

On January 15, the reform commission submitted its report to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.

During yesterday's meeting, the EU enquired about the EC's preparation for the democratic transition through the upcoming election. It also wanted to know the EC's overall preparations for the next election, including the process of voter registration, the CEC said.

"They [EU] expressed their willingness to assist in every way possible for Bangladesh's progress. They want the democratic transition to take place. They assured us of their full support in this journey."

Nasir added that the EU would send personnel, conduct a needs assessment, and deploy a mission to evaluate the situation before informing the EC about what kind of assistance they will provide.

The EU also expressed its desire to send observers during the polls, the CEC said adding, "We have assured them of a free and fair election. We have dedicated all our efforts to ensure a transparent, impartial, and acceptable election."

Michael Miller told reporters, "And I have come with a message of support for the reform ambitions of the interim government for holding an election transparent manner in line with international standards."

[Our correspondents in Dinajpur and Thakurgaon contributed to this report.]​

 

[Saif]

Don't enrol Rohingyas as voters, EC Sanaullah tells officials in Dinajpur

"Ensure that no foreign nationals, particularly Rohingyas, are included in the voter list," he said

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Don't enrol Rohingyas as voters, EC Sanaullah tells officials in Dinajpur

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah today urged Election Commission officials in Dinajpur to not enrol Rohingyas as voters.

"Ensure that no foreign nationals, particularly Rohingyas, are included in the voter list," he said.

Urging the officials to remove fake enrolment, duplicates, and foreign nationals from the voter rolls, he stressed that a transparent and accurate voter list is crucial for a fair election.

He made the remarks while speaking about various issues centring the next elections during separate meetings in Shilpakala Academy and Birganj upazila in Dinajpur. He was visiting Dinajpur today during his three-day tour of seven districts under the Rangpur division.

Stressing the need for encouraging female participation in the voter registration process, EC Sanaullah emphasised importance of preparing an accurate voter list and rebuilding public trust in the electoral process under the interim government.

He said, "The Election Commission is strongly committed to conducting a fair and credible election."

He reiterated the need to include the new generation in the voter list, aligning with the chief adviser's vision to ensure their active participation in the national elections.

However, the election commissioner raised concerns about the disparity between male and female voters, noting that the number of female voters currently is 30 lakh less than male voters.

"No eligible voter should be excluded due to technical issues," he stressed.

"We are determined to restore the credibility of all institutions, including the Election Commission, which has been questioned in the past due to controversial elections," he stated.

The meetings were attended by senior election officials, including Dinajpur Senior District Election Officer Md Kamrul Islam and Additional District Election Officer Md Aftabuzzaman.​

 

[Saif]

Election likely to be earlier than later

Scenarios point towards a December-January election

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Election likely to be earlier than later
Scenarios point towards a December-January election

File photo

As speculation swirls around the timing of the next general election, remarks from election commissioners, along with historical precedents, suggest that the much-anticipated 13th national election will likely be held in December or January.

Sources within the Election Commission said that they were considering December for the elections because going to the ballots between February and June might not be feasible on account of the Ramadan, HSC exams and the monsoon.

Usually, national elections do not take place during Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims. Also, election date is scheduled in such manner that the preceding three weeks of campaigning do not coincide with Ramadan days either. Electioneering during this time is typically avoided, as it seriously limits campaigning. Elections during Ramadan would mean low voters' participation and challenging campaign logistics.

Candidates get at least 21 days to campaign, and the Ramadan is set to begin on February 17 or 18 in 2026.

"If we follow the usual practice, we will not be able to hold the elections until mid-April. But that is not feasible as Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent public examinations usually begin in April. These exams take about a month," said a top election official.

Top election officials explained that it is customary to avoid dates that conflict with public board exams, religious festivals and weather conditions. Even the typical cyclone season is also avoided for holding elections.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Sunday noted that Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said the next general election could be held at the end of this year or in the first half of next year, depending on the reforms political parties agree to.

If the election is to be held in December, all preparations, laws, and regulations must be finalised, and necessary arrangements must be made by October, he said, adding, "May–June is the rainy season, and elections have not been held during this time in the past."

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah on Tuesday was more precise when he said preparations for the national election are underway targeting December.

Senior election officials further mentioned that would be tight for the commission to hold elections before December, as there is a long 'to do list'. The commission will have to update electoral rolls, complete delimitation of constituencies, register new political parties, set up voting stations, organise a panel of polling officials, and, if necessary, amend electoral laws.

Adding to the complications, the EC must await outcomes of the reforms proposed by the commissions to determine the extent of changes required to electoral laws and logistics if any. Until these reforms are finalised, the EC cannot proceed with full-scale preparations.

The election chief on Sunday said that tasks like demarcation of parliamentary constituencies and political party registration take time. The commission has received numerous applications for delimitation, but it is unable to start working due to legal issues, he said.

"Still, we are confident. We have to overcome these challenges. We are doing our preliminary work and homework so that as soon as the rules of the game are fixed, we can jump into action," he said, adding that the EC has started the new voter registration process as well.

Past Elections

Bangladesh has witnessed 12 national elections since independence of which only two—the ones in 1986 and 1996—were not held in the typically dry months between October and March. Since the restoration of democracy in 1991, six of the seven national polls have been held during winter.

The first national election in independent Bangladesh was held on March 7, 1973. The next election was held on February 28, 1979, and the third election took place on May 7, 1986.

The fourth parliamentary elections were held on March 3, 1988, and the fifth general elections were held on February 27, 1991, under an interim government.

The sixth parliamentary election was held on February 15, 1996, and the seventh on June 12, 1996, under a caretaker government.

The election to the eighth parliament was held on October 1, 2001, the ninth parliamentary election was held on December 29, 2008, and the tenth election was held on January 5, 2014.

The eleventh parliamentary polls were held on December 30, 2018, and the 12th on January 7, 2024.

The seventh general election was held on June 12, 1996, barely four months after the sixth election as the Awami League and other opposition parties forced the ruling BNP-led government to step down and hand over to a caretaker government for conducting elections. The opposition parties had boycotted the February 1996 elections.

A caretaker government headed by former Chief Justice Mohammad Habibur Rahman was sworn in on April 3.

As Bangladesh inches closer to the election season and political quarters become more vocal for an election, scenarios point towards an increasing likelihood of the nation going to the ballots earlier, rather than later.​

 

[Saif]

Election date depends on reform progress, says press secretary

The timing of the 13th general election depends on the extent of reforms made by the interim government, Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has said. Speaking at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Wednesday, he presented the possibility of a one to one-a

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Election date depends on reform progress, says press secretary
bdnews24.com
Published :
Jan 29, 2025 22:11
Updated :
Jan 29, 2025 22:11

The timing of the 13th general election depends on the extent of reforms made by the interim government, Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has said.

Speaking at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Wednesday, he presented the possibility of a one to one-and-a-half-years wait for the forthcoming polls.

“We have repeatedly made our position clear. If fewer reforms are needed, the election can take place by December this year,” Shafiqul said.

“If the parties feel more reforms are necessary under this government, the process could extend by another six months, meaning the election may be held by June next year.

“The chief advisor and other advisors have reiterated this repeatedly.”

Journalists at the briefing questioned him about the election timeline, the government’s decision on seven government colleges, and the Awami League’s protest programmes.

Following the fall of the Awami League government in the face of a mass uprising, the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration took charge with a pledge to implement reforms.

Over the past five months, the government has undertaken initiatives to reform the police, administration, judiciary, economy, and Constitution.

Throughout this period, the election date and the tenure of the caretaker administration have remained a pressing issue.

Political parties have repeatedly urged the government to complete the reforms swiftly and proceed with the election.

The BNP leaders have also intensified their calls for an early election.

In response to a question, the press secretary said: “The Election Commission is an independent body, and it has its own stance. There will be further discussions on the issue, but what is most crucial right now is the reform process.”

The reform commissions are expected to submit their reports by mid-February.

“Once the reports are received, the consensus commission will begin its work. The exact election date will be determined based on these reforms,” he concluded.​