EC does not speak to the media after meeting with president

The chief election commissioner and other members of the commission leave the Bangabhaban around 2pm

The AMM Nasir Uddin-led Election Commission has completed its meeting with President Md Shahabuddin ahead of the announcement of the schedule for the 13th general election and referendum.

The chief election commissioner and other members of the commission left the Bangabhaban around 2pm.

They did not speak to the media at the time.

The five-member EC had met around 11am. Then, at 11:40am, it left the Election Building in Dhaka’s Agargaon and arrived at the Bangabhaban around 12:15pm.

Such consultations with the president are customary before an election schedule is made public. The commission is expected to outline its preparations ahead of the polls.

The CEC is due to record a televised address later on Wednesday at the EC headquarters. The announcement of the schedule is expected either in the evening or on Thursday. Security has been tightened around the EC headquarters in Agargaon.

The timetable will confirm a polling date in the first half of February, with voting for both the 13th parliamentary election and the national referendum running from 7:30am to 4:30pm on the same day.

The schedule will also set deadlines for submitting and withdrawing nomination papers, as well as for scrutiny of candidacies. Only the polling date will be mentioned for the referendum.

For the first time, postal voting will be available in a parliamentary election, and registered expatriate Bangladeshis will be able to take part in the referendum.

The commission has already briefed Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on its preparations and met Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed on Tuesday.