Atiqul Islam and Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh may have to wait as long as for more than three months to take charges after winning the mayoral elections to the Dhaka North and South City Corporations, res ...
CEC promises voters 'safe polling centres'
The chief election commissioner, or CEC, has urged the voters to turn up to cast their ballots assuring them 'safe' polling centres in the city corporation elections.
Published : 31 Jan 2020, 02:28 PM
Updated : 31 Jan 2020, 02:28 PM
Beside the election officials, law-enforcing agents will do their job without bias, KM Nurul Huda said on Friday.
Voting will take place on Saturday from 8am to 4pm on Electronic Voting Machines or EVMs in the Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporation elections. The total number of voters in both cities is 5,463,467.
The authorities have been dispatching election materials among the 2,268 centres from 16 venues in Dhaka since Friday.
"Through you, I'll call upon the voters to turn up to the polling centres on Saturday," the CEC told journalists as he came to visit Dhaka Residential Model College to see the distribution of logistics.
"Our presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers are well trained to handle the EVMs. They will provide any support you may need. I urge all voters to exercise their right to franchise by casting vote through the EVMs."
"We have told the law-enforcing agencies time and again to discharge their duties without prejudice. We have told the presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers the same thing. Judicial magistrates have been given the same instructions," added Huda.
The mayor and councillor candidates were able to run their campaigns 'as they wished and at their convenience without any obstacle,' the CEC claimed.
"This has created a festive atmosphere for the voters and earned their trust. We hope to have a competitive, free and fair election tomorrow."
The journalists asked CEC Huda if he believes the city election will help the Election Commission to earn back the trust of the political parties.
“I can't say that. Trust and mistrust depend on individual perceptions. We have never been biased in holding an election, and will never be," he responded.
"I have never seen the Election Commission in this country enjoying the trust of all the political parties. Therefore, one group that holds power will have one type of statement while the opponent group that remains out of power won't have trust in the Election Commission; this has become a political culture," said Nurul Huda.
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