Expectations and actions
Meeting on September 13
Countdown to polls – November 1
Mandate for elections – January 29
Ahead of the upcoming 12th parliamentary election, set to be held in January, the Election Commission (EC) is embarking on a process of consultation with various stakeholders to understand their “expectations and actions” regarding the election.
As part of this, in the first phase, the constitutional institution is sitting with media representatives, civil society representatives and election experts.
The meeting will be held on September 13 at the election hall of Agargaon. The chief election commissioner and other election commissioners will be present in this meeting.
EC Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath, on Tuesday, said: “This can be likened to a workshop where we have invited at least eight participants for the first phase. We will be listening to and understanding the expectations of the election from media editors, former bureaucrats, and election experts. This exchange of ideas might occur incrementally, and the commission has not decided on the continuation of this process after the September 13 workshop.”
This initiative follows the previous dialogues organized by the EC on various issues after Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal assumed office. On September 14, 2022, the commission announced the roadmap for the parliamentary elections.
One year later, they are once again seeking feedback from stakeholders. However, it has not been confirmed whether there will be a dialogue with political parties as part of this consultation.
Countdown to the polls will begin on November 1, with the mandate for parliamentary elections by January 29 next year.
Source: Dhaka Tribune.