The schedule for the 13th National Parliamentary Election will be announced on any day in the first half of December, Election Commissioner Abul Fazl Md Sanaullah said on Tuesday.
“There isn’t much time left. The schedule will be declared in early December, and you will know soon,” he told participants.
Sanaullah was speaking at the opening session of the Election Commission’s (EC) second phase of dialogue with local election observer organisations at the EC headquarters in Agargaon.
Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin presided over the dialogue, which brought together representatives from 81 local observer groups in separate morning and afternoon sessions.
Highlighting the responsibilities of accredited observer organisations, Sanaullah noted that each group receives a five-year registration, during which it must observe at least one national election and four local government polls.
Observers must submit three reports, including a preliminary report within seven days of the national election, a detailed report within a month, and a biennial report. “These reports are important to us, though historically we have gained limited benefit from many of them,” he remarked.
He also expressed reservations about lowering the minimum age for election observers from 25 to 21. “We all understand the limits of experience at age 21. The key challenge is whether organisations can properly train and prepare their observers. Maintaining absolute neutrality is essential,” he stressed.
Sanaullah added that observers should have a clear understanding of all election-related laws, including the reasons for cancelling an organisation’s registration, procedures for investigating complaints, and how such cases are resolved.
