JS election schedule in late October: EC secy

Election Commission (EC) Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said on Tuesday the schedule for the 11th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) election will be announced in late October, reports BSS.

"As per constitution, there is an obligation to hold the national polls between October 30 and January 19 in 2019…We will declare the election schedule in late October after completing all preparations," he told the reporters after a meeting of the EC at its secretariat office.

Ahmed said the commission has already directed officials to store all information about voters of 300 constituencies in compact discs (CD).

He said the EC meeting also decided to include the citizens of 3rd gender as 'Hijra' in updated voter lists. A 'Hijra', who was included as man or woman in previous voter lists, can be enrolled as 'Hijra' in the updated voter lists, he added.

Meanwhile, the government issued a gazette notification declaring them as 'Hijra'.

The EC secretary said the commission will celebrate the 'Voter Day' on March 1 from the next year elaborately to create awareness among the voters about their voting rights, elections and national ID cards.

Separate committees have already been formed at the upazila level in this regard, he added.

About the upcoming city corporation elections, Ahmed said, "Electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used at 10 polling centres in Barisal, and two centres in Sylhet and Rajshahi each."

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda presided over the meeting attended by Election Commissioners Mahbub Talukdar, Md Rafiqul Islam, Begum Kabita Khanam and Brigadier General (Retd.) Shahdat Hossain Chowdhury and high officials.