‘Remove gender-gap in electoral roll’

Speakers at a roundtable today urged the Election Commission to remove the differences between men and women voters as the numbers of female voters are 26 percent less than the male voters.

They also proposed to establish transparency in scrutinizing candidates’ income sources and their election costs for holding the free and credible election.

Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan), a civil society platform, arranged the roundtable at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka.

The speakers said the commission must scrutinize candidates' statement affidavits.

“If the EC decides to check candidates' statement affidavits, many undesired applicants will refrain from participating in the election,” said Sujan Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar .

Former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder, eminent writer and columnist Syed Abul Maksud and Former election commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain, among others, spoke at the programme.