DHAKA, Oct 18, 2018 (BSS) – The schedule for the forthcoming parliamentary elections will be declared in the first week of November.
“Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) informed a delegation of European Union (EU) that the schedule for the national elections will be announced in the first week of November,” Election Commission (EC) Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed told reporters, emerging from a meeting with an EU delegation at Nirbachan Bhaban in city’s Agargaon.
In the meeting, the EU team stressed the need for holding a free, fair, inclusive and participatory election, Ahmed said, adding the EC informed that the commission would take every lawful measure to this end.
He said, “The delegation wanted to know about our poll observers. We informed them that we have 119 local observer groups. We will also welcome the foreign observers if they want to come. There is a policy for them. They can do everything as per the policy. Identity cards will be provided to them.”
They also wanted to know about the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), manpower, law enforcement agencies, voting system for expatriates and the voter lists, Ahmed said.
Earlier, a seven-member delegation of the EU held a meeting with the election commissioners with CEC KM Nurul Huda in the chair.
Election Commissioners Mahbub Talukder, Md Rafiqul Islam, Kabita Khanam and Brigadier General (Retd) Shahdat Hossain were present.
Seven ambassadors of seven countries under EU took part in the meeting.