Postal ballot centres may delay results announcement: EC secretary

Announcemnet of poll results at centres with postal ballots, which are in custody of returning officers, in various constituencies during the 13th national parliament election may take comparatively longer than other centres.

Election commission (EC) secretariat senior secretary Akhtar Ahmed said this on Tuesday afternoon at the inauguration of a media centre, set up jointly by the EC and the Ministry of Information at the InterContinental Hotel in the capital for foreign journalists during the election period.

Akhtar Ahmed further said efforts are being made to manage the process efficiently.

Explaining the reason for the delay, the EC secretary said that due to the structural nature of postal ballot papers, they may need to be verified multiple times. While this could cause some delay, he assured that it would not, under any circumstances, become excessively prolonged.

Noting that returning officers will compile and announce the results from polling centres under their jurisdiction, the EC secretary said, “Returning officers have already announced to begin result compilation at 10:00 am on 13 February, if the election is held on 12 February.”

Asked how long it might take to declare the final results, Akhtar Ahmed said, “All the ballots must be counted, and the time required will be whatever it takes to complete that counting.”

He urged all concerned to remain patient until the counting of ballot papers is completed.

Stating that all preparations for the 13th parliamentary election scheduled for 12 February have already been completed, the EC secretary said ballot papers for 299 constituencies will be delivered in phases from returning officers’ offices to assistant returning officers and presiding officers.

He added that the Election Commission aims to deliver a free, fair, and credible election in a festive atmosphere.

Addressing the media, Akhtar Ahmed said the election commission would provide information and explanations to ensure a credible election, but urged all parties to refrain from spreading misinformation.

Information secretary Mahbuba Farzana and foreign secretary Asad Alam Siam also adressed the event.