EC starts polls preparation

The Election Commission has started preparations for holding the long-overdue elections to Dhaka city corporations in late May or early June.

Talking to The Daily Star, an election commissioner yesterday said: “We have not taken any decision on announcing the polls schedule. But I think the last week of May would probably be a suitable time for the polls.”

EC Secretary Sirazul Islam said preparations are underway at the field level for holding the election and it would take over two weeks to complete the job.

The commission will arrange electoral materials, prepare voter lists for each wards and a draft list of polling centres, he added. “Once the preparations are complete, we will put up the issue before the commissioners for a final decision on the polls schedule,” Sirazul told reporters at his office.

The schedule for the city corporation election is usually declared around 40 to 45 days ahead of the polling day.

Meanwhile, the EC yesterday directed its NID (national identity) wing to complete producing the CDs of voter list for each ward by March 10.

The last DCC election was held in April 2002. The polls could not be held in time due to complexities regarding the demarcation of the boundary of Dhaka South City Corporation.

The LGRD ministry on Monday sent a letter to the EC requesting measures for holding the polls.

Earlier on February 16, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a cabinet meeting asked LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam to take steps for holding the election.