While the two main political camps are locked in frenzied wrangling over the oversight mechanism, the Election Commission is going ahead full throttle on organising the 12th parliamentary polls.
Tenders have been issued to procure 11 types of items needed for the election. Some of these items have been supplied, according to election officials, reports bdnews24.com.
The commission has prepared a list of jobs to do before and after announcement of the schedule.
These include getting 80,000 new transparent ballot boxes for nearly 120 million voters, securing materials like indelible ink for voting, making the voter list for each constituency, training the people who will manage the voting process, creating the election guidebook and nomination papers, and finalising the list of polling centres.
This time, the constitutional body has discarded the plan to utilise electronic voting machines or EVMs, and CCTV cameras for voting.
However, the in-progress election management app will offer voters and EC officials all the information about electoral areas, voter numbers, voting centres and candidates.
The constitution stipulates the next election must be held within 90 days before January 29, 2024.
This means the 12th national election countdown will begin on November 1.
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said the election will be scheduled for either the last week of December or the first week of January.
The BNP is pushing for conducting the national election under an interim, non-partisan caretaker government, but the ruling Awami League opposes this proposal.
Under the circumstances, the CEC stresses the need for consensus among the political parties.
The preparations are going smoothly, EC Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath told reporters on Monday.
He said everything is expected to be ready by the last week of October.
Ashok said that over 50 tasks are consistently being updated and reported to the commission to keep track of their progress.
The printing of ballot papers will start after the withdrawal of candidacy.
Ashok said they will start forming a group of polling officers in September.
They are also in the process of finalising polling stations and preparing training of trainers.
EC officials estimate that organising the election and maintaining law and order could cost about Tk 10 billion for this parliamentary election.
Items needed for the election include ballot papers and result sheets, official seals, marking seals, brass seals, red seals, packaging boxes, indelible ink, forms, packets, needles, threads, envelopes, and candles.
The materials used for voting also include clear ballot boxes, indelible ink pens, seals for the ballot boxes, stamp pads and red sealing wax.
