Names of 2.1m deceased persons removed from voter list: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin said that ahead of the upcoming national election, the Election Commission has conducted a door-to-door update of the voter list. As part of this process, nearly 2.1 million deceased voters have been removed from the list.

He shared this information on Sunday morning during a dialogue at the Election Commission Secretariat’s conference room at the commission headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka. The dialogue was organised by the Election Commission with representatives of civil society in view of the 13th national parliamentary election.

The CEC said, “We have already completed many tasks ahead of the upcoming election. The biggest achievement is updating the voter list through a house-to-house visit. This was a massive task. We were able to remove nearly 2.1 million dead voters.”

Mentioning that the commission has amended nine election-related laws, the CEC added, “We have advanced considerably in terms of ensuring that the election can be conducted properly and fairly.”

He also noted that the Reform Commission, formed by the interim government, had already facilitated much of the commission’s work.

The CEC further said that expatriate voters, government officials, returning officers on election duty, and detainees in custody will be able to cast their votes in the next election. “Many provisions existed in law but not in practice, such as postal ballots… On election day, around one million people are engaged in election duty across the country, but they cannot vote. We will make arrangements so that everyone can vote. Those in detention, too, will have the opportunity.”

He reiterated that the Election Commission is committed to delivering a fair, credible, and acceptable election, and emphasised that its dialogue with civil society should not be seen merely as formality, but as a genuine effort to take advice.

Former diplomat M Humayun Kabir, participating in the dialogue, told the commission that its success in the upcoming election is not only crucial for the Election Commission itself but also for Bangladesh as a whole. He called the next parliamentary election a turning point for the country.

Humayun Kabir said, “The future vision of Bangladesh is evolving. The younger generation will see the country differently in the years ahead. How we align our work with the dreams of the younger generation will itself be a milestone in this election.”

He added that today’s youth are much more modern, better informed, and demand accountability and transparency—and they will fight for it.

Dhaka University journalism professor Robaet Ferdous observed that Bangladeshis are currently pitted against one another. “The entire world will be watching Bangladesh during the coming election. In this context, the Election Commission must be truly independent and transparent.”

He pointed out that corruption and bribery remain pervasive in post-uprising Bangladesh, posing an additional challenge for the commission in organising the polls. The professor urged the commission to ensure neutral administration and law enforcement, credible voter rolls, proper enforcement of the electoral code of conduct, fair participation of political parties, engagement with civil society and election observers, and empowerment of women and minorities.

Chittagong University Vice-Chancellor Professor Muhammad Yahya Akhtar said, “The best thing about the current Election Commission is that there are no allegations against it.”

Opposing the proportional representation (PR) system, he added, “Introducing any new system requires extensive experimentation and trials to assess its effectiveness before it is implemented.”

He also urged political parties not to pressure the Election Commission for specific election symbols.

Others attending the dialogue at the commission’s invitation included former caretaker government adviser Rasheda K Choudhury; Jahangirnagar University professor Al Mahmud Hasanuzzaman; security analyst Md. Mahfuzur Rahman; professor Abdul Wazed; poet Mohon Raihan; Police Reform Commission’s Mohammad Harun Chowdhury; student representative Zarif Rahman; and TIB director Mohammad Badiuzzaman.