EC issues polls guidelines

EC to hold fair election with people's support: CEC

FE Team | Published: July 02, 2025 00:00:05

The Election Commission (EC) has issued polls guidelines titled "Polling Centre Establishment and Management Guidelines 2025" for the upcoming national election empowering its own officials with the sole authority to set up polling centres, reports BSS.
In the guideline, which appeared as a gazette notification on Thursday, EC field-level officials were entrusted with the responsibilities of setting up polling centres, a task which was previously performed by committees at the upazila and district levels.
"It is mandatory to set up the polling centre at the best places for conducting a free, fair national election," the notification said, adding a fair election largely depend on fixing polling centres at appropriate spots.
It said the polling centres should be located in places where people could cast votes freely, remaining beyond influences of any person, community or party.
The guideline said as per rules of article eight of the Representation of the People Order 1972, the EC is the sole authority of publishing gazette of the final list of polling centres alongside the polls schedule.
The EC said instructions were issued for its field level officials for preparing the primary lists of suitable poling centres following the guideline to be published as proposed centres.
The EC will finalize the list after accurately considering possible objections, claims and recommendations ahead of publishing a gazette on policing centres.
The guidelines stated that one polling centre should be designated for every 3,000 voters on an average, and one room for every 500 male voters and 400 female voters.
On May 21, the fifth EC led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM NasirUddin approved the guidelines. "We have scrapped the committee system," said Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Mohammad Salaullah told Journalist after the meeting.
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin on Tuesday said the Election Commission (EC) would be capable of conducting a free and fair election with the support of the people. "If the people of the country stand with us, we will be able to ensure fair elections, InshaAllah," he said, while talking to journalists at the Election Building in the capital's Agargaon.
"You will get the election date and schedule in due time. And you will know it from the EC. We will definitely inform you about it. But you will have to wait a little for that," he added.
Referring to his meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, the CEC said, "During the meeting, he (Chief Adviser) inquired me about the preparations for the elections. I informed him that the preparations for the elections are going on in full swing."