Chattogram: Hectic preparations are underway in Chattogram for the smooth conduct of the upcoming 13th National Parliament Election and Referendum, scheduled for February 12 across 16 constituencies. The initiative includes training 43,725 polling officials to ensure a credible election process.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Chattogram Divisional Commissioner and Returning Officer Dr. Md Ziauddin emphasized the careful selection of polling officials to prevent any controversy and to facilitate a peaceful election environment. Officials who previously played controversial roles have been excluded from election duties. The Election Commission has meticulously scrutinized the past roles of selected polling and presiding officers to maintain impartiality in the election process.
The Chattogram regional Election Commission office indicates that 39,750 officials, including presiding officers and polling officers, are necessary for election duties. However, 43,725 officials have been initially selected to account for emergencies, with training set to commence on January 22. Senior Election Officer Mohammad Bashir Ahmad stated that these officials are drawn from government, semi-government, and educational institutions.
Training sessions will occur in schools and colleges until February 7, with 1,965 polling stations and 12,595 polling booths identified for voting. The Chattogram Regional Election Office reports a total of 6,682,517 voters in the 16 constituencies, with male voters numbering 3,483,877 and female voters totaling 3,198,570. Additionally, 70 third-gender voters have been registered.
The recent voter list update saw the removal of 93,837 deceased individuals and the transfer of 24,799 voters. The total voter count has increased by approximately 100,000 since the last election, despite a reduction of 58 polling stations. The previous election had 6,576,925 voters across 2,023 voting centers, whereas 1,965 polling stations are set for the upcoming election.
Additional Regional Election Officer Mohammad Sakhawat Hossain noted that paper ballots will replace electronic voting machines (EVMs), contributing to the decrease in polling stations. Independent observers anticipate significant influence from expatriate voters, with 95,246 registered from the 16 constituencies. Among them, the highest registration is in Chattogram-15 and the lowest in Chattogram-12.
Postal voting registration varies across constituencies, with the highest in Chattogram-15 at 14,301 and the lowest in Chattogram-12 at 3,201. Md. Bashir Ahmed highlighted the simultaneous voting for parliament members and the referendum on the July National Charter. Security measures will be enhanced at important and vulnerable polling stations to maintain order.
Currently, 145 candidates have submitted nominations, with 42 initially rejected. The appeal process continues, and candidacy withdrawal lasts until January 20, followed by symbol allocation on January 21 and campaign commencement on January 22. Voting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 am on February 12, with ongoing efforts to distribute ballot papers to registered postal voters.