EC aims to complete preparations by November

The Election Commission (EC) plans to complete all key preparatory tasks by 30 November, ahead of announcing the schedule for the 13^th National Parliamentary Election. The constitutional body unveiled its work plan yesterday, Thursday, outlining the roadmap for the upcoming polls.

The plan specifies tentative timelines for completing major preparations, including dialogues among stakeholders, finalising the voter list, revising electoral laws and regulations, registering new political parties, and demarcating constituencies—altogether 24 key tasks.

BNP has welcomed the announcement of the election roadmap. However, National Citizens’ Party (NCP) said moving toward elections without first ensuring the legal and constitutional foundation of the July Charter amounts to reneging on earlier government commitments.

Jamaat-e-Islami described the roadmap as conventional and somewhat misleading. The interim government and EC had earlier indicated that the 13^th parliamentary election would be held before Ramadan (in the first half of February 2026). With that goal in mind, the EC formally announced its work plan. However, the roadmap does not mention the exact date of the election schedule.

At a press conference held at the EC building in Agargaon yesterday afternoon, Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat Akhtar Ahmed announced the plan. In response to questions about the election schedule and polling date, he said the schedule would be announced 60 days before polling. He added that the Chief Adviser’s Office has instructed the EC to organise the election before Ramadan, which begins on 17 or 18 February.

When asked about demands for a Constituent Assembly and referendum, the secretary said the Chief Adviser’s directive is limited to the national election. “It is not within my jurisdiction to speak beyond the parliamentary polls,” he noted.

Among the 24 preparatory activities listed in the roadmap are: stakeholder dialogues; updating the voter list; revising electoral laws and regulations; registering new political parties; delimiting constituencies; updating guidelines for observer and journalist; setting up polling centres; coordinating with law enforcement; and introducing postal voting.

According to the EC’s work plan, reforms to laws and regulations, registration of new political parties, and finalisation of constituency boundaries are to be completed by 30 September. The draft of constituency delimitation has already been published, with the final gazette to be issued by 15 September and the GIS maps by 30 September.

The draft list of polling stations will be published by 10 September. By law, the final gazette on polling stations must be published at least 25 days before the election date.

Work on the voter list is already well advanced. A supplementary draft list has been published to include previously excluded voters. Those born on or before 1 January 2007 will be included in the list to be published on 30 August. The final voter list, incorporating those born on or before 31 October 2007, will be published on 30 November.

The EC will begin dialogues between various stakeholders in the last week of September, continuing for about a month and a half. The dialogues will include registered political parties, university teachers, civil society representatives, women’s groups, media editors, election observers, experts, and July Movement leaders. The specific agenda has not been disclosed.

Responding to a question, the EC secretary said that if new issues arise during consultations, the commission will incorporate them. However, he noted that after discussions within the Election System Reform Commission and the National Consensus Commission, he does not expect major changes.

The EC plans to enable expatriates to exercise their voting rights in the upcoming election through IT-supported postal voting. The roadmap states that a mobile application for this system will be developed by 30 September and tested in October. Registration of expatriate voters is scheduled to begin on 11 November and continue until 30 November. Ballot papers are expected to be sent to expatriates between 20 November and 5 January.

The EC had earlier clarified that these ballots will not contain candidate names, only the symbols of registered parties and independent candidates. Expatriates will be able to vote after symbols are allocated. The plan is to collect the ballots and votes back at least one week before election day.

When asked if the EC sees any challenges, the secretary replied, everything is a challenge. The EC has the mental strength required to face every challenge.

On questions about law and order before the election, he said that is the responsibility of the Home Ministry, while the EC’s role is to carry forward election-related activities in coordination with them.

The roadmap states that after the schedule is announced, the EC will send letters to Bangladesh Betar and BTV to allow political parties to broadcast campaign messages and speeches by party leaders. Private electronic media may also carry these broadcasts as decided by the EC. After symbol allocation, returning officers will arrange for rival candidates to present their manifestos on the same platform, in the presence of voters and stakeholders.

The BNP welcomed the EC’s roadmap. Party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told Prothom Alo, “We are reassured that the EC is moving forward with elections in February.”

In an immediate reaction last night, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said the roadmap was “conventional and somewhat misleading.” He argued that the method of the election remains undecided, and the legal framework and implementation of the July Charter are still unsettled. Announcing such a roadmap in this state is premature and partial. It does not reflect public expectations, he said.

Ariful Islam Adib, Senior Joint Convenor of the NCP, told Prothom Alo that the Chief Adviser had previously said elections would follow sufficient progress on reform and justice. “But now the EC has been directed to proceed with elections before the July Charter is finalised. These two directives reflect conflicting positions of the government. Moving to elections without ensuring the Charter’s legal and constitutional foundation breaks earlier promises, he said.

In a statement, Islami Andolan Bangladesh Joint Secretary General and Spokesperson Mawlana Gazi Ataur Rahman said, instead of an election roadmap under old arrangements, the nation first wants a roadmap for reforms and implementation of the July Charter.

Ganasamhati Andolan Coordinator Zonayed Saki said, “Justice, reform, and election are our foremost national priorities. The EC’s roadmap is essentially the interim government’s election roadmap made official. We welcome its announcement.”

AB Party also viewed the roadmap positively, though the party noted that a credible election would be difficult without building trust in the administration and law enforcement agencies.