EC plans to announce election action plan by July

The Election Commission (EC) is preparing to hold the next national elections in December. As part of this effort, the constitutional body plans to announce the action plan for the 13^th national parliamentary elections between June and July, following the completion of primary preparations.

The EC is constitutionally mandated to organise national elections and determine the election date. However, following the fall of the Awami League government amid the student-led mass uprising, the timing of the next parliamentary polls largely depends on a consensus between the interim government and political parties. Interim government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has reiterated on multiple occasions that elections will be held sometime between December 2025 and June 2026.

According to EC sources, preparations are underway to hold the election in December, and a draft action plan has already been prepared. Although the action plan did not fix a specific election date, the Commission is advancing its preparatory work. Officials believe that the reform process and efforts to build national consensus will take clearer shape by June, making it easier to announce a detailed action plan.

EC officials said that major preparations for the general elections include: updating the voter list with photographs, redefining parliamentary constituency boundaries, identifying polling stations, procuring election materials, recruiting and training election officials, registering new political parties, and accrediting local observer organisations. Some of these tasks must be completed before the election schedule is formally announced, while others will follow afterward.

In addition, the EC plans to hold dialogue sessions with registered political parties and other stakeholders prior to the election, although the date for this dialogue has not yet been set.

Besides the Commission’s own preparations, the cooperation of law enforcement and public administration is critical to the election process. The law and order situation will need to stabilise before polls can be held. Notably, the police force has not yet returned to full functionality following the unrest after 5 August.

Sources within the EC say informal communications have already taken place with senior police officials to assess manpower availability. The police have expressed confidence that they will be fully operational if elections are held in December. The EC also expects that both the police and civil administration will be in a stable condition by then.

Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarker told Prothom Alo on Monday that the EC is working with December as the target date. In that case, all necessary preparations must be completed by October. “We have already started preparations. A draft action plan has been prepared, and we hope to announce the final election action plan by June or July,” he said.

One of the most critical preparatory tasks ahead of the national elections is the preparation of the voter list and the redrawing of parliamentary constituency boundaries. The responsibility of preparing the voter list lies with the Election Commission (EC) under the Constitution.

According to the Voter List Act, the EC updates the list annually between 2 January and 2 March. Additionally, the EC has the authority to amend the list at any time if necessary.

The final voter list, with updated data for 2024, was published on 2 March. The updating process for the current year is also underway. As part of this process, EC officials have gone door to door to collect updated information. The voter registration drive is now nearing completion.

Through the door-to-door effort, information on more than six million eligible voters has been collected. At the same time, data has also been gathered to remove the names of over two million deceased voters from the registry. The EC expects to complete the entire voter list update process by June next year.

However, as per existing law, any updated information will only be officially incorporated into the voter list on 2 March of the following year. If the elections are held before that date, the law may need to be amended to include individuals who have recently become eligible to vote.

Determining the boundaries of parliamentary constituencies is also a constitutional responsibility of the EC. The boundaries for all 300 seats have already been demarcated. Under the law, the EC has the authority to redraw these boundaries after the publication of a census and before any national election, if deemed necessary.

EC sources said that the commission believes it is essential to redraw the boundaries of several constituencies before the upcoming election. A new census has been conducted, and there are complications involving a number of seats that warrant adjustment. However, the demarcation process is time consuming and has hit a legal snag.

A printing error in a section of the current delimitation law restricts the EC’s ability to make significant changes. As a result, the EC has submitted a proposal to the Law Ministry to correct the error and amend the legislation. So far, however, the Advisory Council has not approved the proposal.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Reforms Commission has also submitted a draft law regarding the delimitation of parliamentary seats. But no final decision has been made on that proposal either. In this context, the entire issue of constituency delimitation remains stalled.

On this matter, Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarker told reporters at the EC headquarters on Monday that if the government amends the relevant law, the commission will act accordingly. Otherwise, the next election will be held using the current constituency boundaries.

The Electoral Reforms Commission, formed by the interim government, has proposed amendments to several electoral laws, including the National Election Act and the Representation of the People Order (RPO).

On 19 March, the Cabinet Division forwarded nine reform proposals to the Election Commission (EC), labelling them as “selected for immediate implementation.” These include amendments to the RPO, the Election Commission Secretariat Act, and the Election Officers (Special Provisions) Act; reforms in election observation and media policies; amendments to the code of conduct for political parties and candidates; updated affidavit formats; voter list revision procedures; postal ballot verification; and measures to ensure transparency and integrity in election financing. The EC has been asked to provide an estimate of the time and cost required to implement these proposals.

In parallel, the EC has also initiated its own reform process. It is preparing amendments to several regulations, including the RPO, code of conduct, and election observer and media policies. Alongside its feedback on the Reform Commission’s proposals, the EC plans to submit its own legislative recommendations to the government.

The EC’s internal committee has nearly finalised the draft code of conduct for parliamentary elections, which will soon be placed before the commission for approval. EC officials said most of the recommendations from the Electoral Reforms Commission have been incorporated into this draft.

The EC’s dual role—drafting its own reforms while reviewing those from the Reform Commission—has raised questions about possible overlaps or conflicts. Addressing this, Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarker told Prothom Alo that there is no conflict.

“The EC is constitutionally empowered to hold free, fair, and credible elections. We have our own set of issues to address in order to ensure that. These will be placed accordingly,” he said. He also mentioned that some reform proposals would fall under the jurisdiction of the National Consensus Commission.

The EC typically registers new political parties ahead of national elections. It has already issued a public notice inviting applications for party registration, with the deadline set for 20 April. The EC intends to complete the registration process by July or August.

Setting up polling stations is another crucial task. Schools and other educational institutions are generally used as polling centres, following established policy. The EC is currently working to amend this policy. The list of polling stations must be finalised and published in the government gazette at least 25 days before the election.

Another major area of preparation involves procurement. The EC has already sent a letter to the Finance Division requesting the necessary budget allocation. Each polling station requires various materials such as transparent ballot boxes and lids, photo-attached voter lists, ballot papers, indelible ink, different types of seals, stamp pads, and ink. Of these, ballot paper is usually sourced from the state-owned Karnaphuli Paper Mill, for which demand letters are sent well in advance. Once candidatures are finalised, ballot papers are printed at the government press. Additional election materials are procured through open tenders, which require more time.

During the election schedule, the EC appoints returning and assistant returning officers. Typically, deputy commissioners, Upazila Nirbahi Officers, and EC officials serve in these roles. Presiding officers, assistant presiding officers, and polling officers are selected from various government and private institutions. These appointments are made after the election schedule is announced, followed by mandatory training.

On election day, multiple law enforcement agencies, including the police, RAB, BGB, and Ansar, are deployed to maintain law and order. Members of the armed forces act as a striking force. After announcing the election schedule, the EC holds coordination meetings with senior officials from these agencies and issues directives.

Badiul Alam Majumder, head of the Electoral Reform Commission and now a member of the National Consensus Commission, told Prothom Alo that most proposed reforms do not require constitutional amendments and can be implemented via ordinance. He said the EC can submit its proposals to the government, and that the National Consensus Commission is already reviewing issues raised by the EC.

Badiul Alam Majumder emphasised that all parties involved are working toward the same goal—a credible election to ensure a smooth democratic transition. “The earlier a fair election is held, the better. I hope the reform process will be completed quickly. If all sides cooperate, a fair election can be held soon,” he added.