Country to be divided into red, yellow and green zones: EC secretary

Akhtar Ahmed, secretary to the Election Commission (EC) secretariat, has said the whole country will be divided into three zones — red, yellow and green, to manage law-and-order situations.

On Sunday, November 23, after a meeting at the election commission building in Agargaon with chief election commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin and Commonwealth secretary-general Shirley Botchwey, Akhtar Ahmed told reporters, “She [the secretary-general] asked us about the current law-and-order situation in the country. We told her that the country is being divided into red, yellow and green zones and law-and-order will be managed accordingly.”

Akhtar Ahmed added, “During the meeting the Commonwealth secretary-general said the Commonwealth stands ready to provide any necessary assistance to Bangladesh for the forthcoming thirteenth national parliament election.”

He said, “The secretary-general specifically told the chief election commissioner that the Commonwealth, which comprises 56 member countries, is prepared to help if we request support. She expressed particular satisfaction with assistance from the United Kingdom on electoral matters.”

The EC secretary said the secretary-general discussed election preparations, progress and various technical matters with the chief election commissioner.

He added they viewed the inclusion of expatriate Bangladeshis on the voters’ roll for the first time in the country’s 53-year history as very positive, and were briefed on the materials required for the election.

The secretary-general expressed satisfaction at the participation of women voters and the updating of the voter list.

The removal of deceased voters was also positively received.

The Commonwealth urged vigilance against misinformation, disinformation and fake news. Akhtar Ahmed said, “We told them we regularly provide information through the media and will further increase that in future.”

Shirley Botchwey emphasised that building trust in the electoral process and effective voter outreach are crucial.

The EC secretary said that with the cooperation of political parties, the electoral process can achieve the success expected.

A six-member Commonwealth delegation led by secretary-general Shirley Botchwey attended the meeting with the chief election commissioner.

Shirley Botchwey arrived in Dhaka on a five-day visit last Thursday.