Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin has said that preparations for the upcoming referendum will commence only after the relevant law is enacted.
Unlike the previous two referendums, which were conducted under existing legislation, the law for this referendum is yet to be passed. “Once the law is in place, the commission will move forward with the necessary preparations,” he said.
Nasir Uddin made the remarks on Wednesday at the Election Commission headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, following the second round of discussions with political parties.
Acknowledging the country’s complex political landscape, the CEC stressed that the commission cannot ignore prevailing realities. “The commission is committed to conducting a neutral election. If citizens turn out in large numbers at polling centres, no one will dare disrupt the process,” he said.
On election transparency, Nasir Uddin noted, “We are not holding elections in secret. Journalists’ cameras will serve as additional surveillance. Many centres already have CCTV installed, although these can be switched off, and maintaining them remains a major challenge.”
The CEC also highlighted electronic voting machines (EVMs) as a key concern, describing them as a “headache” for the commission due to technical and operational issues.
