National elections will be cancelled in case of irregularities: EC Rashida

Election Commissioner Begum Rashida Sultana said the national election will also be cancelled like the by-polls in Gaibandha-5 if any irregularities emerge.

"Our only message is that in the national elections, voters can vote for the candidate of their choice without any hindrance. We guarantee that. We stopped voting in the Gaibandha by-election and we will stop voting in the national election too if there is any irregularity," the election commissioner said while talking to reporters at her office in the Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital on Wednesday.

Regarding the use of CCTV cameras in the elections, she said, "We will use CCTV cameras in the five city elections to be held next year. Voting will be conducted through Electronic Voting Machines [EVMs]. The decision to use CCTV cameras in national elections is still pending."

Rashida Sultana also said, "The matter of trust is personal. We cannot say who will have confidence in us. But we have not done anything after taking charge that would make people distrust us. We have shown that in the Gaibandha by-election."

On taking help from donor organisations in the national election, the election commissioner said, "If they want to help, we have no problem taking it. But who will give what and how, that remains to be seen."

In October last year, the Election Commission (EC) suspended voting around four hours after it began at 8:00am as the environment at polling centres "went out of control" amid allegations of vote rigging using the hotly debated electronic voting machines (EVMs).

It was the first move of its kind seen in Bangladesh's democratic history.