EC to announce Presidential Election schedule soon: Commissioner Masud

Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud has said the Election Commission (EC) will announce the schedule for Bangladesh's presidential election soon, adding that the election will be held within the 90-day constitutional deadline following President Mohammed Shahabuddin's resignation.

Speaking on Friday, Masud said the election would be conducted in accordance with Article 123 of the Constitution and the Presidential Elections Act, 1991. He added that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) will serve as the Returning Officer for the election.

According to Masud, under the Constitution, the 350 members of the Jatiya Sangsad constitute the electoral college for the presidential election. The EC will prepare the electoral roll based on the current members of parliament before announcing the election schedule.

He said the election process would be similar to that used for reserved women's seats in parliament. If more than one candidate is nominated, a vote will be held. If only one valid nomination is submitted, that candidate will be declared elected unopposed.

The election commissioner also noted that the EC's offices would remain closed on Saturday due to the weekly holiday. He said the commission is expected to decide on the election schedule on Sunday or shortly thereafter.

Under the Constitution, a new president must be elected within 90 days of the office falling vacant. The constitutional process began on Friday after President Mohammed Shahabuddin formally resigned from office.