Bangladesh Election: EC forms five committees to accelerate preparations 

The Election Commission has formed five committees to speed up necessary preparations ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election likely to be held early next year.

The five separate seven-member coordination committees, formed yesterday (9 July), are headed by different election commissioners.

The EC senior secretary and the additional secretary are members on all the five committees.

Election Commissioner Tahmida Ahmad is leading a monitoring committee for the preparation of polling officer panels and training programmes. 

This committee's members also include the EC's NID Registration Wing director general, two joint secretaries and a deputy secretary.

The committee's terms of reference will include preparing, supervising, and making necessary revisions to panels of election officers and polling officers for national and local government elections.

It will also oversee the appointment of presiding officers, assistant presiding officers, and polling officers based on their qualifications, experience, and competence.

Additionally, the committee will supervise and coordinate matters related to the training of election and polling officers, along with addressing other relevant issues as necessary.

Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud is leading a monitoring and coordination committee for electoral laws, rules, policies and the activities of the electoral inquiry bodies.

Its other members include two joint secretaries and two deputy secretaries.  

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah is the chairman of a coordination committee over Out of Country Voting (OCV) and Local and Foreign Observers.

The committee members also include a joint secretary, a deputy secretary, the public relation director and the ICT system manager.  

Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker is the head of a committee for coordination with the field administration over the electoral activities. 

The EC's NID Registration Wing director general, two joint secretaries and a deputy secretary are also on the committee.  

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah is also leading another committee for field-level law and order coordination and monitoring during the election. 

The project director of the EC's IDEA Project (Phase-II), two joint secretaries and a deputy secretary are also made the members of the committee.

The responsibilities will include formulating security plans for conducting elections, supervising and coordinating the activities of law enforcement agencies assigned to election duties, and ensuring effective coordination among the police, RAB, BGB, Coast Guard, Armed Forces, Ansar, and other relevant agencies.

It will also involve coordinating among the law enforcement agencies to maintain peace and order in polling centers or electoral areas.

Furthermore, the responsibilities include assisting returning officers and presiding officers by coordinating the deployment of law enforcement personnel as mobile and striking forces to ensure the safe transportation, distribution, and use of ballot papers and other electoral materials.

The committee will also work in coordination with all relevant security forces to assess potential threats of violence, terrorism, or unrest and take necessary preventive measures.

Other relevant matters related to security may also fall under its purview.

Yesterday, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus directed the agencies concerned to complete all necessary preparations by December to ensure a peaceful national election.

The directive came in a meeting at the State Guest House Jamuna in the capital. Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, chiefs and high officials of different law enforcement agencies and other concerned departments were present in the meeting.  

At the meeting, there were discussions over the deployment of law enforcement members for seven days to maintain law and order during the election period - before, during and after the polls.

A total of some 8 lakh Ansars and law enforcement members will be engaged in the next general election.

The chief adviser also instructed to take preparation for bringing some 16,000 vulnerable polling stations out of possible 47,000 voting stations throughout the country under CCTV monitoring network as well as for installation of cameras on the body of police members in the polling stations in a bid to ensure peaceful balloting.