Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin. File Photo

DHAKA, Jan 26, 2025(BSS) - Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin today said all necessary preparations for national elections must be completed by October if the elections are to be held in December.

“If we want to hold elections in December, then election schedule must be made by October . . . all preparations, including reformation of legal framework and regulations, must be completed by October,” said the CEC highlighting issues such as registration of new political parties and delimitation of electoral boundaries. 

The CEC came up with the comments while speaking at a function organized by Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy (RFED) at the Nirbachon Bhaban in Agargaon here this morning. 

RFED president Ekramul Huq Sayem presided over the function while RFEC general secretary M Humayun Kabir moderated it. 

“We are hopeful that the election would be held in festive mood as the chief adviser has already informed that the 13th national parliament elections will be held within one and a half years,” the CEC said, adding that since June is a rainy season and all out preparations are underway considering the rainy season.

Voter list updating has already begun and necessary steps for electoral law reform are underway, he noted.

Mentioning that some reform proposals made by the Electoral Reform Commission would reduce the power of the EC, Nasir Uddin said the EC’s freedom will affect if some of its activities are placed under the supervision of a parliamentary standing committee. 

 “We never want to become dependent on the parliamentary standing committee . . . such type of reform proposals should be cancelled. The powers of the EC will be curtailed if parliamentary standing committee is given power to oversee the EC,” the CEC explained.

The CEC said EC should have sole authority for updating voter lists and delimitation of electoral boundaries. Interventions of any bodies are not acceptable anyhow in this regard, he added.  

On the election proposal of electoral system reformation, the CEC said there may be a lot of recommendations but it is difficult to implement. 

Disagreeing with the recommendation of removing EC’s authority for delimitation of electoral boundaries, the CEC said it is under the EC’s jurisdiction.

He said the EC has been able to begin updating voter list early due to the logistic support provided by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Even the EC is unable to step forward for elections related works due to absence of ‘rules of the game’, he said, adding that the EC is unable to implement a lot of works related to registration of political parties and delimitation of electoral boundaries due to legal restriction. 

So, the amendment to the laws is necessary, he added.