EC committed to free, fair, inclusive polls: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Sunday said the commission is committed to delivering a free, fair and inclusive national election, scheduled for February 12.
Keeping this in view, the Election Commission (EC) is addressing challenges such as misinformation while prioritising the participation and safety of women, minorities and communities in remote areas, he stated.
The CEC was speaking at a signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the UNDP and Canadian High Commission in Dhaka to support the electoral process through Bangladesh Advancement for Credible, Inclusive and Transparent Elections (BALLOT) project for the Electoral Cycle 2025-2027 at the EC in the city, said a press statement.
The CEC said the support through the BALLOT project is vital to strengthening their capacity for both national and future local government elections.
The agreement was signed by Stefan Liller, Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh and Ajit Singh, High Commissioner of Canada to Bangladesh in presence of the Chief Election Commissioner.
Under the partnership, Canada has approved CAD 2.0 million to support the BALLOT project in assisting electoral institutions and stakeholders across the electoral cycle.
This support is delivered through a multi donor pool fund alongside Australia, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, according to the statement.
With national elections scheduled for 12 February 2026, the initiative comes at a pivotal moment, it said adding Bangladesh's election administration is one of the largest in the world, spanning more than 40,000 polling centres across 495 upazilas and serving a population of roughly 168 million people.

Munni_fe@yahoo.com