Election Commission Charts Clear Course with Pre-Poll Action Plan

In preparation for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Elections, expected to be held in December, the Election Commission (EC) under the leadership of A. M. M. Nasir Uddin has released a detailed action plan, outlining a series of pre- and post-announcement tasks. This structured roadmap includes a timeline for execution of at least two dozen electoral tasks, set to be initiated six months prior to the polls.

The primary action plan for holding the elections, alongside a checklist for conducting the election post-schedule announcement, includes both electronic and digital arrangements. The plan also mentions limited online voting for expatriate Bangladeshis, signaling a potential pilot initiative in overseas participation.

Among the planned activities to be completed before the official schedule is announced are:

• Streamlining telecommunications infrastructure,

• Establishing regulations for election-related campaigning across social and mass media,

• Installing digital monitoring systems and relevant equipment 15 days prior to voting,

• Setting up electoral inquiry committees, and

• Preparing constituency-specific CDs of the voter list without photographs to accompany nomination forms. Supplementary voter list CDs will be provided to Registration Officers, and ICT support activities will also be undertaken.

Speaking about the roadmap, Election Commissioner Md. Anwarul Islam Sarkar said, “We are also considering how to control rumors. We will strengthen the tools at our disposal to enforce maximum stringency.”

According to EC officials, 22 specific initiatives have been finalized, including stakeholder dialogues, registration of political parties and election observers, reforms to laws and regulations, and setting up polling stations and finalizing the voter list. Most of these tasks are targeted for completion by October.

Commissioner Md. Anwarul Islam Sarkar further clarified that while many refer to this framework as a roadmap, the Commission prefers the term “action plan.” He explained, “There will, Insha’Allah, be a documentary-style roadmap. It will be officially published. What we want to assure the public is that the draft is mostly ready—just the dates and timings need to be set. All preparatory work must be completed before the schedule is declared. We must finalize this by July or August. Since the election is likely to take place in December, the schedule is expected to be announced in October—about 60 to 70 days prior. It’s as clear as a mirror. To remove any confusion, we must release the action plan by June or July.”