CEC declares ‘zero tolerance’ against election rigging

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin today declared a "zero tolerance" stance against "vote terrorists".

"There's bad news for election terrorists — no one will be spared if they resort to violence or irregularities. There will be zero tolerance in dealing with them," he said.

The CEC made the remarks while exchanging Eid greetings with the reporters at the commission's headquarters, Agargaon of Dhaka, on the first working day after the Eid holidays.

"We do not operate under anyone's instruction," said CEC Nasir.

"We do not act on orders or under the direction of anyone. EC officials have been instructed not to work under the influence of anyone or to serve partisan interests," he said.

The CEC said, "Some people might still be hoping to win by capturing all votes from certain polling centres. That opportunity no longer exists. They should wake up — they are daydreaming. That dream will never come true."

"What happened in the past — if anyone thinks they can take over polling centres or snatch ballot boxes — that's nothing but a daydream. Such opportunities will not be available this time. Everyone wants a peaceful election," he added.

He affirmed that the EC aims to deliver a free, fair, and acceptable election to the nation, and all preparations are being directed toward that goal. The EC will decide on the election schedule and date based on discussions with the government and assessing the overall situation.

On preparations, he said that amendments will be made to the Voter List Act, and finalisation of the voter roll is nearly complete. Meanwhile, major tasks like party registration and demarcation of parliamentary constituencies are ongoing.

CEC Nasir added that regardless of whether the election is held in February or April, the Commission is ready. However, it is not possible at this moment to announce a specific date eight to ten months ahead of the vote.

He said the Commission will decide after getting a clearer idea from the government following discussions.

In response to various questions about the possible timing of the election — particularly in light of the chief adviser's recent remarks suggesting polls in early April and an unsigned joint statement from London implying a February timeline — the CEC refrained from commenting on a specific date.

"Be it in February or April — whenever the national election takes place, we must be prepared," Nasir said. "We were initially told the election could be held any time between December and June, and we are preparing accordingly."

He reiterated, "Right now, we are focused solely on preparations. Once we engage in discussions with the government and understand their thinking, we'll gain clarity and can make a decision. At this point, I cannot declare a specific election date."

"If we get a clearer picture from the government, we will be ready and prepared to deliver the election accordingly," he added.

The CEC said that the chief adviser has expressed a desire to deliver a historic election, which will be conducted by the Election Commission.

"The chief adviser wants to hold this election with participation from all parties through discussions. We must realise that the current situation is quite unique. If all preparations are complete, the election might take place in February. I saw a joint statement suggesting the polls could be held even before Ramadan — but only if conditions are right. I can't take this as anything formal or official," he said.

AMM Nasir Uddin said, "We haven't had any discussions with the government yet. We're focused on our preparations so that we're ready to deliver the election whenever it is scheduled. Right now, we are not thinking beyond our own preparations. Once we speak to the government and understand their thinking, we hope for a positive outcome. At this point, our sole focus — day and night — is on readiness."