EC prepares as election festivity approaching

The extensive administrative framework, from the capital to the grassroots, has reached its final stage of readiness as the EC said, “All arrangements for the election are complete, now it awaits the people’s participation.”

According to EC sources, the tentative schedule for the elections is set for the first half of February next year. Key preparatory tasks, such as updating the voter list, finalizing polling stations, redrawing constituency boundaries, training of the election officials, and revising electoral regulations, are nearly complete.

Talking to BSS, Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar said, “We aim to hold a festive, impartial, and widely accepted election. To that end, we are ensuring comprehensive administrative, technical, and legal preparedness.”

He added that the voter list and central database have been fully updated. This year, approximately 2.5 million new voters have been registered, with women accounting for 52 percent of the additions.

According to the latest information from the EC, the total number of voters in the country is 12,63,7,504. Male voters are 6,41,00,455 while female voters are 6,22,05,819 and third gender voters are 1,230. 

To hold the election, a total of 42,761 polling centers and 244,649 polling booths have been designated across the country. Of the total, 115,137 polling booths have been set up for men while 129,602 for women.

"Our preparations are 90 to 95 percent complete. Cent percent preparation will be completed only after the registration of political parties and observer organizations is finalized," said Akhtar Ahmed, Senior Secretary of the EC secretariat. 

He said that 18 task forces have been formed to complete the commission's work on time, each of which is working on a specific responsibility - some on logistics, some on IT or security. 

As part of the preparations, the amendment of the code of conduct, updating the Representation of the People Order (RPO), training of election officials and planning for the use of technology are also almost complete, he added.

According to the revised RPO 2025, the “no vote” has been reinstated this time, while the obligation to use EVMs has been abolished and the disclosure of information related to the candidate's assets, income and taxes has been made mandatory, said the Senior Secretary.

In addition, he continued, the use of banking channels for donations has been made mandatory, while the candidacy of absconding accused has been barred from contesting in the election, and the election deposit has been increased from Taka 20,000 to Taka 50,000.

Mentioning that these reforms will increase the transparency and accountability of the election, the EC Senior secretary said, “Votes are not just a matter of numbers, it is a matter of trust. Restoring that trust is now one of our main goals.”

The EC has placed strong emphasis on security management during the election period. Following a series of meetings with law enforcement agencies, it has decided that security forces will remain deployed for a total of eight days, three days before the election, on election day, and four days after.

Approximately 150,000 police personnel, 100,000 members of the armed forces, and over 550,000 Ansar-VDP members will be on duty across the country, EC secretary said. 

To ensure neutrality and professionalism, he said, it has introduced specialized training and a dedicated code of conduct for all members of law enforcement agencies involved with the electoral process.

In addition, the commission has announced the formation of a “Misinformation Monitoring Cell” for the first time to protect digital security during the election. 

This cell will monitor fake information, artificial intelligence (AI)-based misleading campaigns, and online rumors. In this regard, an integrated dashboard is being created in collaboration with NTMC, BTRC, BUET, Dhaka University, and the ICT division.


The EC has also taken a big initiative for expatriate voters. Voters residing abroad can cast their votes by post through a mobile app called “Postal Vote BD”. 

The EC said that expatriate voter registration has already started in 11 countries including the UK, US, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and the UAE. This opportunity will be expanded to eight more countries next year.

Experts believed that this election is very important to maintain the democratic continuity in Bangladesh. Dr. Mohitul Haque, a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Dhaka University, said, “The transparency and strong attitude of the EC before the election is the first step to regaining the trust of the people.” 

“If the EC can maintain full control over the administration and law enforcement agencies, then participatory elections are possible,” he observed.

The EC is also bringing innovations in the technical side of voting. The cyber defense system has been upgraded to increase security in the voter database and central server. This time, for the first time, real-time updates will be monitored at each center on the election day from the district-level control room.

EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said, “This time we want to reduce the procedural failures to zero. The calculation of each polling station will be digitally recorded, which will be reported directly to the commission.”

Political parties have already entered into the election field. The top three parties have started the process of selecting candidates. 

The EC said that the registration of political parties and allocation of symbols will be completed in November. A special cell has been formed to verify the affidavits of the candidates, which will verify the information of the NBR and the Anti-Corruption Commission.

The EC further said that the elections are not just an administrative arrangement; it is a festival to determine the future of the country. 

Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar said, “If people can vote spontaneously, then the success of the elections lies there. We want every voter to be able to vote safely and happily.”

A mass awareness campaign has been started at the rural level to ensure public participation. Voters are being encouraged through posters, banners and short videos at the radio, television, social media and union council levels. 

The EC's Information and Publicity Department said that this time the voter awareness programme has specifically targeted women and young voters, reports BSS. 

A top EC official remarked, “We want to see young citizens aged 18 to 30 actively engaged in the voting process. The vibrancy of our elections will only return when youth participation rises.”

All eyes, from the political sphere to the administration and the general public, are now fixed on one question: how the upcoming national elections will unfold. The EC affirmed that preparations are complete; the next chapter rests with the people.

Anwarul Islam Sarkar said, "This election will be another milestone in the democracy of Bangladesh. We believe that the people will be the real winners this time."