They condemn the move as a ‘blow to press freedom’
EC seeks allocation of Tk 3 billion in next national budget
The Election Commission, or EC, wants an allocation of Tk 3 billion in the next national budget in order to conduct local government polls, including elections to the three city corporations.
Published : 7 June 2019, 08:15 AM
Updated : 7 June 2019, 08:15 AM
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal is set to place the national budget for the fiscal year 2019-2020 in the upcoming parliamentary session on Jun 13.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has recently hinted that the size of the budget would exceed Tk 5 trillion.
Voting materials arrive at Chittagong’s MA Aziz Stadium on Saturday for upcoming city elections. Photo: suman babu/ bdnews24.com
Enamul Haque, senior secretary to the commission’s budget department, told bdnews24.com, that a letter has been sent to the finance ministry, seeking the funds to hold polls to Dhaka North, Dhaka South, and Chattogram City, the parliamentary by-poll and elections to the expired local government institutions.
The request for the allocation of funds for election management and law and order was approved by the EC, he added.
The EC plans to use the allocation for its development work under the budget to update the electoral roll with photographs, construct a server station to protect its database, distribute smartcards, verify national IDs and develop an election management system.
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