Dhaka: The Election Commission (EC) has announced its decision to extend the voting hours for the upcoming 13th national election and referendum by one hour. Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah shared this decision with reporters following the commission's 10th meeting at Nirbachan Bhaban in the Agargaon area of the city.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the meeting was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin and included attendance from four election commissioners, namely Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Tahmida Ahmad, Anwarul Islam Saker, and Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah, along with senior officials from the EC Secretariat. The decision to extend the voting time will see polling begin at 7:30 am and conclude at 4:30 pm, offering a total of nine hours for voters to cast their ballots, compared to the previous eight-hour window from 8 am to 4 pm.
The EC discussed provisions for election observers and journalists, ensuring they can fulfill their roles unimpeded. A circular will be issued to provide necessary assistance. On maintaining law and order, the EC plans to hold a zoom meeting with district-level administration officials on the day of the polls schedule announcement, followed by an in-person meeting post-finalization of candidate lists.
Commissioner Sanaullah emphasized the formation of inquiry committees to gather election information, expanding from 10 to 14 members per committee. These committees will operate across 300 seats, with the authority to conduct inquiries and trials. Executive and judicial magistrates will be appointed to enforce the election code of conduct, with two magistrates designated per upazila or police station starting from the election schedule announcement.
Political parties will be required to remove campaign materials within 48 hours of the polls schedule announcement, failing which action will be taken as per the electoral code of conduct. On postal voting, the EC is preparing to manage both international and domestic postal ballots, with printing and dispatch of international ballots commencing imminently. Domestic postal ballot registration will be available for 15 days starting the day after the schedule announcement, and the EC is urging institutions to encourage voter participation in postal voting.