Election, referendum schedule to be announced today

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin is set to declare the schedule for the 13th National Parliamentary Election along with the national referendum today (December 11).

He will announce the schedule in an address to the nation at 6:00pm, Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed confirmed during a reporters briefing at the EC headquarters in Agargaon on Wednesday.

Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar earlier recorded the CEC’s speech at 4:00pm.

Following the development, security has been tightened in and around the EC building ahead of the announcement.

EC officials said the schedule will include all 300 constituencies, and the dates for both the parliamentary polls and the referendum will be revealed once the CEC’s address is broadcast. Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarker has hinted that voting could be held on February 8 or 12, although the final date will be known today.

On Wednesday, the Election Commission completed all preparations required before announcing the schedule. As per procedure, the CEC and other commissioners met President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban and briefed him for nearly an hour and a half on voter registration, political party registration, ballot paper colours and distribution methods, timing observed during mock voting, vote-counting procedures, and both domestic and overseas postal voting. The president expressed satisfaction with the preparations and termed the extension of polling hours—from 7:30am to 4:30pm—a logical move.

Earlier in the day, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court declared illegal the EC gazette that had reduced the number of constituencies in Bagerhat from four to three. However, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahman said the verdict was unlikely to have a significant impact on the schedule.

Regarding possible complications for both Gazipur and Bagerhat seats, the EC secretary said the commission will still announce the schedule for all 300 seats, and any adjustments required by court orders can be made later.

The election schedule will specify deadlines for nomination paper collection and submission, scrutiny, withdrawal of candidacy, and the polling date. For the referendum, only the date of voting will be included.

The EC has decided to keep the number of polling stations and booths unchanged. However, each booth will now have two secret stamping compartments, which may slightly increase overall expenditure.

According to the final voter list, Bangladesh has 127,695,183 registered voters, including 64,814,907 men, 62,879,042 women, and 1,234 third-gender voters. The updated list includes all citizens who turned 18 by 31 October.