The Election Commission (EC) is set to meet with Acting Speaker Kayser Kamal to discuss upcoming presidential election, with formal schedule expected to be announced shortly thereafter.
Akhtar Ahmed, senior secretary of Election Commission Secretariat, informed journalists at Election Bhaban in Agargaon on Monday that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin and other election commissioners will meet the acting speaker at 11am on Tuesday.
The senior secretary added that any necessary updates would be shared following the discussion. When asked about the specific date for the schedule announcement, he noted that it would be determined based on the outcome of the meeting.
Meanwhile, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Mashud on Monday told TIMES of Bangladesh that the schedule would be announced soon.
He clarified that while there is a legal obligation to meet the acting speaker to provide an overview of the commission’s preparations, the meeting does not strictly govern the timing of the announcement.
“We have a 90-day period to conduct election. It could happen at any time within this period; we might announce the schedule the day after the meeting or even five days later,” Mashud explained.
He further noted that the nature of the presidential election is distinct, as legal restrictions prohibit candidates or voters from erecting election arches or using microphones for publicity.
Consequently, the election can be conducted with a minimum notice of seven days, though the timeline can be extended by up to 50 days if required.
Regarding the recommendations for reforming local government election laws, Mashud noted that a draft has been prepared and is currently being signed. “There are some minor errors we are correcting. We will send it once it is finalised,” he said.
In response to queries regarding Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker for Satkhira-4 constituency, Mashud mentioned that EC has not yet received any formal communication from Parliament.
“They claim to have informed Parliament, but if Parliament does not notify us, there is nothing for us to do at this stage,” he added.
