Election Commission to hold preparatory meeting on law and order ahead of election

The Election Commission (EC) will hold its first meeting with senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and law enforcement agencies on 25 September to review overall preparations and ensure a peaceful environment for the 13th national parliament election.

Senior Secretary of the EC, Akhtar Ahmed, unveiled the election roadmap today (28 August), indicating that the national election is expected before Ramadan next February, with the official schedule set to be announced in the first half of December.

Ahead of the national election, the EC has prioritised 24 key tasks. Its initial preparatory meeting on September 25 will bring together senior secretaries, armed forces staff, and top officials from RAB, BGB, Ansar and VDP, the Coast Guard, and Special Branch (SB). 

The discussions will focus on proposals and plans to maintain law and order during the election.

The meeting will also cover preparations for the announcement of the election schedule, sending election results from polling stations via special envelopes through post offices, appointing executive magistrates, and coordinating inter-ministerial activities as needed.

Additionally, the EC plans to hold a second meeting 15 days before announcing the schedule with senior law enforcement officials to discuss deployment, coordination, and guidance on the number and placement of personnel for the national election.

Twenty days prior to the schedule announcement, the EC will liaise with the Ministry of Law and, if necessary, hold inter-ministerial meetings to prepare proposals on forming the Electoral Inquiry Committee and appointing judicial magistrates, as well as to secure High Court approvals and complete other necessary steps.

One week before the election, the EC plans to organise day-long training for executive magistrates deployed with law enforcement, mobile, and striking forces to ensure proper electoral management and law enforcement across constituencies.

On 7 August, in response to journalists' questions, Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah said that the letter from the Chief Adviser's office regarding holding elections in February had reached the EC Secretariat. "You can assume that we will announce the schedule in the first half of December," he said.

Regarding questions about the election date and voting day during the schedule announcement press conference, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said that the Chief Adviser's office has instructed the EC to hold elections before Ramadan next year. The schedule is set to be announced 60 days before voting.