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Ballot papers reach 299 constituencies: EC Secretary
Election Commission Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed today said the Election Commission has completed all preparations for the upcoming 13th National Parliament Election and Referendum with the reach of ballot papers in 299 constituencies across the country.
He said this at the inauguration of the ‘Media Centre’ for foreign journalists at the Intercontinental Hotel here.
The EC Secretary said, except for Sherpur-3, all the ballot papers and election materials of the 299 constituencies of the country have been sent. The ballot papers are being sent from the office of the Returning Officer to the Assistant Returning Officer and officers to the designated places. The preparations for voting have been completed, he added.
He said, “We will come to a turning point of the ages by voting on the morning of the February 12 and it will be the auspicious beginning of a new chapter for our country. This path was not easy … smooth … we had to overcome many obstacles to reach here.”
Regarding the counting of votes, he said, when the polling ends at 4:30 pm, the center-wise results will first go to the Assistant Returning Officer. From there, the Returning Officer will compile the results and send them to the Election Commission. The commission will publish those results in phases, he added.
The EC Secretary also said, “This is the first time that a separate polling station has been set up in the office of the Returning Officer due to postal ballots. As the counting of postal ballots requires a structured process and verification, the results of these centers may take a relatively longer time, but in no case will the declaration of results be unnecessarily prolonged.”
He said that the Election Commission will provide regular information and will also explain the information as needed.
At the same time, urging everyone to refrain from misinformation and propaganda and calling on journalists to publish objective news, he said, “No matter how cruel or difficult the truth may be, we will tell it. There is no problem—the truth is the truth.”
Information Secretary Mahbuba Farzana, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, officials of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Election Commission, among others, were present at the event, reports BSS.