Half the work done to ensure voting rights, exact poll date to be announced 2 months ahead: CEC

The fight to establish people's voting rights in Bangladesh has been ongoing for the last 15 years, and half the work has already been completed, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin said today (8 July).

"The day a voter can freely and fearlessly vote for their preferred candidate on their own initiative, only then we can say voting rights have been fully established," he said while speaking as the chief guest at an event organised by the Reporters Forum for Democracy (RFD) at the Election Commission building in Agargaon, Dhaka. 

Regarding the upcoming national election, the CEC said, "The exact election date has not yet been set, but it will be announced at least two months in advance, along with all other key dates such as nomination deadlines and full details."

"Now is the time to fulfill our responsibilities. Our message now will be: vote and fulfill your civic duty. The role of journalists is also very important," he said.

Referring to past election controversies, he said, "We don't want a repeat of the allegations that surfaced during the 2018 election. I urge the administration, police, and presiding officers to treat this as an opportunity to restore public trust. 

"Just as we successfully held fair elections in 1991, 1996, and 2001, we can do it again. This is our chance to restore public confidence and uphold the image of the Election Commission."