Election preparation: The EC aims to complete all tasks by December

Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus previously stated that the election could be held either at the end of this year or in the first half of the next, depending on the reforms agreed upon by political parties. The process of updating the voter list is progressing smoothly, and authorities are working on amending laws to redraw electoral boundaries.

The tasks of registering new political parties and establishing rules for international and domestic observers and journalists during the elections will be completed on time, he added. However, EC officials are aware that the situation may change after discussions between the government and political parties regarding the necessary reforms before the election.

According to EC officials, holding the election in December seems more practical, as Ramadan, the Higher Secondary Certificate exams, and the monsoon season would make it difficult to conduct polls between February and June.

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Retd) Abul Fazal Sanaullah confirmed yesterday, "We are preparing under the assumption that the election will be held in December. We have no alternative plan." He made this statement after meeting with envoys and representatives from the UNDP and 18 countries, including the EU, the USA, the UK, Japan, China, and South Korea.

An anonymous senior EC official mentioned, "If we prepare for the election in June [2025], but the government decides to hold it in December, many tasks may remain incomplete."

DEBATE OVER ELECTION TIMING

Major political parties, including the BNP and its allies, want the national election with minimal reforms, believing it can be held by mid-year.

Jamaat-e-Islami supports holding the national election only after all necessary reforms are implemented.

The Jatiya Nagorik Committee also prefers the election to take place after reforms suggested by reform commissions are completed.

Additionally, the BNP opposes local government elections before the national election, while the Nagarik Committee favors the opposite.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Monday that the government informed his party it plans to hold the national election by December. He reiterated that the BNP would not agree to local government elections before the national election.

There are ongoing discussions about the possibility of holding both national and local government elections together, he noted.

The EC, however, maintains that national and local government elections cannot be held simultaneously, as previous experience shows that conducting all local government elections takes about a year.

Regarding this, EC Sanaullah said yesterday that the national election is the EC's priority. However, if the government decides to hold local government elections first, the EC will follow that decision. The government will determine the scope of the local government elections and which institutions to involve, after which the EC will assess whether this would delay the national election.

EC'S PREPARATION

The EC typically needs to update voter lists, set constituency boundaries, register new political parties, prepare polling stations, and amend electoral laws if necessary. This time, the EC must await the outcomes of the reforms.

Regarding constituency boundaries, an EC official noted that significant work would be required if the number of constituencies is increased from 300 to 400. The EC has already initiated the process of changing the relevant law. Additionally, the EC has received over 240 objections to increasing constituencies to 400, and at least 10 political parties have applied for registration.

Meanwhile, officials are working on potential changes to the guidelines for international and domestic observers and journalists. These matters were discussed in a meeting of election commissioners on January 28. EC Sanaullah stated that the policies and guidelines are under review by a committee.

Since independence, Bangladesh has held 12 national elections. Only two—those in 1986 and June 1996—were not conducted during the dry months of October to March. Since the restoration of democracy in 1991, six of the seven national elections were held in winter. The seventh election took place on June 12, 1996, just four months after the sixth election, following the forced resignation of the BNP-led government and the transfer of power to a caretaker government.

Meanwhile, Stefan Liller, UNDP Bangladesh's resident representative, stated, "We are supporting the Election Commission in conducting a free and fair election, hopefully the best election in Bangladesh's history, and that is our aspiration." He added that the timeline for the election is solely the decision of the interim government and the EC, as they have no role in that decision.