Ballot papers sent to 299 constituencies, postal ballot results may take longer: EC secretary
The EC secretary said 540 journalists and observers from 19 countries are arriving in Bangladesh to cover the election, which will be held from 7:30am to 4:30pm
All preparations have been completed to hold the 13th national election and referendum on state reforms on 12 February, Election Commission (EC) Secretary Akhtar Ahmed has said.
"I can inform you today that voting is scheduled in 299 constituencies so far. All ballot papers for the 299 constituencies have been sent, and all election materials have been dispatched," he said while addressing the inauguration of a "Media Centre" for foreign journalists at InterContinental Dhaka in the capital today (10 February).
The EC secretary said 540 journalists and observers from 19 countries are arriving in Bangladesh to cover the election, which will be held from 7:30am to 4:30pm.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
He said voting will be held in 299 constituencies, as polls in one has been postponed following the death of a candidate and will be held later.
Regarding result consolidation, Akhtar said the results from postal ballot centres may take comparatively longer than results from other centres. He explained that due to the structural nature of postal ballots, additional scrutiny and multiple checks are required.
"Considering this, it may take a little more time, but under no circumstances will it be prolonged," he said.
The secretary said, "With all preparations complete, we are now waiting for the auspicious moment. On the morning of 12 February, at 7:30am, we will begin casting our votes and arrive at a historic turning point. Until then, we are waiting."
Urging journalists to present factual information, Akhtar said the truth must be conveyed and upheld. "We will provide information. The interpretation of that information will be yours, but we will refrain from misinformation and disinformation.
"No matter how harsh or difficult the truth may be, we will state it as it is. Truth is truth," he said.
EC to announce voter turnout every 2 hours during polls
Meanwhile, the EC has also issued a directive stating that voter turnout during polling for the national election and referendum will be announced every two hours.
According to the directive, polling centre-based vote counts will be collected and verified at fixed intervals and uploaded to an EC-designated digital system, allowing real-time monitoring at the commission level.
Under the directive, issued by EC Senior Assistant Secretary Md Shahidul Islam last night (9 February), data entry operators appointed by assistant returning officers in each constituency will log into the Election Management System (EMS) and enter the number of votes cast at each polling centre every two hours.
The assistant returning officer will verify and approve the data. Once approved, the information will be visible on the "Kopot Dashboard" from the accounts of the returning officers and the Election Commission.
