Staff Correspondent:

With the interim government indicating that the 13th parliamentary election is likely to be held in early February next year, and setting December as the deadline for completing all administrative and security preparations, the Election Commission (EC) is now waiting for a formal announcement to finalise the election date and schedule.

Multiple EC officials have confirmed to journalist that the constitutional body is making all necessary arrangements, although no specific timeline has been publicly announced.

The interim government has also announced that the July Declaration, drafted in the wake of the 2024 uprising, will be formally unveiled on 5 August, in the presence of political stakeholders, signalling a move towards consensus on reform and an electoral roadmap.

Alongside the political parties, both the government and the EC are now fully on board the election train. However, speculation continues to swirl around the exact timing of the election or polling day.

The EC anticipates receiving a clear indication regarding the election from the government by the first week of the current month. Following this, it will commence deliberations on the election schedule.

Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker has stated that they expect official communication from the government at the state level within a short time, hopefully by the first week of the current month.

The EC Secretariat is currently engaged in various preparatory activities ahead of the parliamentary elections.

The EC has nearly completed several major tasks, including the publication of the voter list, registration of new political parties, ensuring voting rights for expatriates, and amending various election-related laws and regulations.

As part of its preparations, the EC issued a circular on Wednesday revising the boundaries of 39 constituencies with minor adjustments. One parliamentary seat will be added in Gazipur and one scrapped in Bagerhat, while the boundaries of 261 seats will remain unchanged.

The constituencies undergoing adjustments include Panchagarh-1, 2; Rangpur-3; Sirajganj-1, 2; Satkhira-3, 4; Shariatpur-2, 3; Dhaka-2, 3, 7, 10, 14, 19; Gazipur-1, 2, 3, 5, 6; Narayanganj-3, 4, 5; Sylhet-1, 3; Brahmanbaria-2, 3; Cumilla-1, 2, 10, 11; Noakhali-1, 2, 4, 5; Chattogram-7, 8; and Bagerhat-2, 3.

Anwarul Islam said the technical committee on boundary delimitation proposed adding a seat in Gazipur, which has the highest number of voters, and removing one from Bagerhat, which has the lowest.

Objections to the proposals will be accepted until 10 August. Hearings will then be held for each constituency before a final decision is made, he added.

The EC also plans to publish the draft updated voter list on 10 August, with the final version expected on 31 August. Including the latest updates, the number of registered voters in the country now stands at around 130 million.

This will require approximately 47,000 polling centres and over 200,000 polling booths.

EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told journalist that initial work on determining polling centres has started based on previous policy, in order to avoid last-minute pressure.

“Discussions are currently underway regarding 47,000 polling centres, though the number may vary slightly. However, it is expected that it will not exceed 47,000,” he said.

The Directorate of Primary Education has issued letters to government primary schools requesting information on renovation needs for those institutions that will be used as polling centres in the upcoming election.

According to sources, financial allocations for this initiative will come from the operational budget under the revenue sector for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

Earlier, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah said that this time, expatriate Bangladeshis would be able to vote via postal ballots.

He also mentioned that a project would be undertaken to facilitate the process. “We will initiate a project to enable expatriates to cast their votes. Through this project, the system for voting via postal ballot will be implemented.”

Sanaullah further stated that an initial project with a budget of Tk48 crore would be undertaken to ensure voting rights for expatriate Bangladeshis.

“Although the previous postal ballot system did not see much participation, this time we expect a significant response. So far, it is known that most expatriates will be able to vote,” he added.

To bolster transparency and efficiency, the EC is implementing significant changes among election officials overseeing the voting process. It has decided to monitor polling centres via CCTV and not to assign individuals who served in controversial roles during the last three elections.

According to information from the EC Secretariat, 122 officials have been transferred in two phases over the past 15 days. On 15 July, 51 upazila election officers were transferred, and earlier this year, 62 officials from both the central and field levels of the EC Secretariat were reassigned.

Furthermore, to manage the polls, the EC plans to train around 900,000 election personnel, including presiding and polling officers.

On the law enforcement front, the interim government has also announced the recruitment of 17,000 new personnel across various forces to support election duties.

On Election Day, nearly 800,000 security personnel, including 570,000 from Ansar, 141,000 police officers, and members of the BGB and Coast Guard, will be deployed nationwide. Special training will focus on neutrality and peaceful conduct during the polls.

Additionally, approximately 200,000 election observers will be accredited to monitor the polls, with strict vetting in place to prevent political affiliations.