Number of voters rises to 126.17m

The total number of voters in the country now stands at 12,61,70,900 as per the draft updated voter list released by the Election Commission (EC) on Sunday, ahead of holding the next general election scheduled for early February next year.

Of the total, 45,71,216 are new voters who were born on or before 1 January 2007. On the other hand, the names of 21,32,590 deceased voters have been omitted from the list, meaning a net increase of 24,38,626 new voters.

Senior Secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat Akhtar Ahmed revealed the figures during a briefing held at the EC headquarters in the city's Agargaon area. "The list will be finalised by August 31," he said, adding that the updated electoral register have been published in the respective EC offices across the country.

Supplementary voter lists prepared following the voter list update programme have been published in all upazila or thana election commission offices in the country.

If any voters submit correction requests by August 21, it will be taken into consideration. "We shall finalise this on August 31 after the corrections are made," he said.

The EC earlier said Bangladeshi nationals who will turn 18 by October 31 this year will be incorporated into the electoral roll, and another voter list will be published at that time.

Three voter lists are being prepared this year-one finalised in March this year, another in August and the third one after October, said Mr Ahmed.

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