The Election Commission has formed five oversight and coordination committees to prepare for 13th national parliamentary elections, with responsibilities ranging from field administration to electoral training and law enforcement liaison.
The decision, outlined in five office orders signed by EC Deputy Secretary Md Shah Alam on Thursday, places each committee under the leadership of a separate election commissioner and includes seven members per body.
The committees will oversee: Law and order coordination, field administration, training of polling officials, election laws, rules, and oversight mechanisms, overseas voting and local-foreign observation affairs
Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah, Election Commissioner, will head the law and order coordination committee, as well as the expatriate voting and observer affairs committee signalling the EC’s priority to ensure election-time security and transparency.
Commissioner Tahmida Ahmed will lead the training committee for polling officials, while Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Ma’sud has been tasked with overseeing legal and regulatory frameworks and electoral inquiry mechanisms.
Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar will chair the field administration coordination committee, which will liaise with local civil and election officials to ensure seamless logistical preparedness.
The EC is expected to intensify its preparations in the coming months amid growing scrutiny over the transparency and credibility of the upcoming national elections.
Earlier on Wednesday, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus instructed authorities to complete all preparations for the upcoming elections by December.
The Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam disclosed the matter during a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
“The chief adviser has also directed law enforcement agencies to maintain strict vigilance in the coming months,” the press secretary said.
Revealing that 800,000 security personnel will be deployed for the elections, Shafiqul Alam emphasised that all law enforcement members must complete their training by December to ensure a fair electoral process.
He further added that discussions were held regarding the possibility of setting up separate polling booths for voters aged 18-32 during the elections.