United News of Bangladesh

The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday morning (November 27) started its second phase meeting with law enforcement agencies including armed forces in a bid to finalise the security men deployment strategy during the upcoming national election and referendum to be held in February 2026. The meeting began with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin in the chair at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city. Top representatives from three armed forces – Army, Navy and Air Force– as well as the Home Affairs Ministry, Police, RAB, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Coast Guard, Ansar and VDP, the Armed Forces Division, DGFI, NSI, NTMC, SB and CID attended the meeting. Read more: Everything will be fine before the voting day: CEC over law and order The meeting is being held focusing on the deployment of security personnel, maintaining the law and order during the election, providing the security to election officials, election materials and polling stations, recovery of illegal arms and removal of illegal campaign materials like posters l. About the election-time security, CEC AMM Nasir Uddin at an event on Wednesday said the law and order situation will continue to improve and everything will be in order before the voting day. “It will improve gradually. As the polling day approaches, you will see everything will fall in line. Everything will be fine,” he told reporters, replying to a question after inspecting an election-related training and mock exercise organised by BGB at Pilkhana in the capital. The CEC said, “I won’t say the law and order situation has reached a perfect level. You saw what the situation was on August 5, 2024. Now compare it with the current situation….. So, it will improve further, gradually.” About the security meeting, he said the Election Commission will sit again with law enforcement agencies over specific proposals. “The development strategy will be finalised there,” he said. Nasir Uddin said law enforcement agencies are being deployed on the field with maximum preparedness to ensure a free, peaceful and neutral election. Read more: Motivate voters to go to polling stations: CEC to political leaders Earlier on October 20 last, the held its first security meeting with law enforcement agencies in a bid to conduct the 13th parliamentary election in free, participatory and fair manners. The Election Commission will also hold a coordination meeting with the heads of various ministries, departments and authorities on November 30 as part of the preparatory activities for the upcoming general election. The Cabinet Secretary, Bangladesh Bank Governor, Senior Secretaries of the Home Affairs Ministry, the Public Administration Ministry, the Shipping Ministry and the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division, Foreign Secretary are among the 34 invitees for the coordination meeting on November 30. Earlier, the Election held dialogues with 47 registered political parties, including BNP, Jamaat and National Citizen Party-NCP on November 13, 16, 17 and 19 last. In late September 2025, the Commission opened a series of electoral dialogues with different stakeholders amid talks with civil society representatives on September 28. Later, the EC held separate dialogues with 47 registered political parties, including BNP, Jamaat and National Citizen Party-NCP, as well as the representatives of teachers, senior journalists from different media outlets, election experts and election observers. The Election Commission is likely to announce the schedule in early December for holding the next general election in early February 2026. Read more: Don’t hire politically linked election observers: CEC Nasir

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Tuesday called on local election observation organisations not to appoint any person involved in politics or any party as they are field-level observers to ensure their neutral role in the upcoming national election. “Please make sure that your people would be totally impartial,” he said while chairing a discussion with local election observer groups at Nirbachan Bhaban. The discussion began at 10:35am as part of the Commission’s ongoing dialogue with stakeholders ahead of the next national election, expected to be held in early February 2026. Election Commissioners Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Tahmida Ahmad, Anwarul Islam Sarker and Brig Gen (Retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah were present. Commonwealth Secretary-General meets CEC, discusses election preparations The CEC said Bangladeshis are highly politically conscious, and therefore any observer who becomes politically involved during the election would ‘damage everything’. “Please check whether those you appoint have any political involvement or have any link and connection with any party. If they have participated in political programmes, processions or meetings, please do not appoint them,” he said. He said the Election Commission wants the observers as partners to deliver a fair and credible election to the nation. “We have promised the nation that we would deliver a fair, beautiful and credible election to the nation. The Election Commission alone cannot ensure this. We all must work together for it, he added. Pointing at the old observer organisations, the CEC said he does not want to revisit past controversies. “I don’t want to dig into the past. I always want to look ahead. Mistakes may have happened for various reasons. Let’s forget about it. Rather, we should take lessons from the past and move forward.” EC committed to neutral role for credible polls: CEC Nasir But he warned that the reputation of observer organisations would be at stake if their field-level staff fail to perform responsibly.  “Reports submitted by observers must be based on reality,” Nasir Uddin said. He said the organisations must take responsibility to monitor whether their field-level observers are reporting properly. “If any report comes that your observer is working in favour of a political party or influencing the process, this will be a great damage done to your reputation. So, please ensure they remain totally impartial,” he said. The CEC said the Commission’s sole agenda is to deliver a “credible, transparent and fair election.” Describing the observers and journalists as the CCTV cameras for the EC, he said “If they keep watch, no one will dare to commit irregularities. Your role is very important. You have a very important role to play.” He reminded organisations that observers must not engage in any election campaigning or influence the vote in any way. “Their duty is just to observe, not to intervene. If they see an irregularity, it is their duty to report it, not to intervene or stop it.” On Tuesday, the EC is holding two separate discussions—one with 40 observer organisations in the morning, and another with 41 organisations from 2:00pm. The EC is holding two discussions on Tuesday --The first discussion with 40 observer organisations, while the second one with 41 other organisations from 2:00pm. Besides, the Commission is going to sit in its second discussion with top representatives of law enforcement agencies, including the armed forces on November 27 and with the top government officials concerned on November 30 next. The meeting with the law enforcement agencies is likely to focus on the deployment of security personnel in every constituency including polling stations, their coordination among the law enforcement members and EC’s instructions to ensure security during the upcoming election. Earlier, the Election held dialogues with 47 registered political parties, including BNP, Jamaat and National Citizen Party-NCP on November 13, 16, 17 and 19 last. In late September 2025, the Commission opened a series of electoral dialogues with different stakeholders amid talks with civil society representatives on September 28. Later, the EC held separate dialogues with the representatives of teachers, senior journalists from different media outlets, election experts and election observers. The Election Commission is likely to announce the schedule in early December for holding the next general election in the first half of February 2026.  

The Election Commission began its much-talked-about pre-election dialogue with political parties on Thursday morning (13th November 2025) with six registered parties in the first batch, as announced earlier. Leaders of the six registered political parties attended the talks at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city to discuss an 11-point agenda. The discussion started with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin in the chair. Election commissioners and EC Secretary were present. The Commission invited 12 registered political parties to attend Thursday’s opening sessions — six parties in the morning session and six others in the afternoon session. The six parties invited for the morning session are Liberal Democratic Party-LDP, Bangladesh Congress, Bangladesh Muslim League, National People's Party, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan and Jamiyate Ulamaye Islam Bangladesh. Bangladesh Election: Electoral dialogue with political parties to begin Thursday The six parties invited for the afternoon session are Communist Party of Bangladesh-CPB, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal-Basod, Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Nationalist Front-BNF and Bangladesh Nationalist Movement-BNM. This time the political parties are being invited in groups due to time constraints before the announcement of the election schedule. The Election Commission traditionally holds talks with registered political parties before each national election. Each party was usually invited to join the dialogue separately. The dialogue with political parties is considered the Commission’s last major task before the election schedule to be announced in early December. Currently, there are 53 registered political parties, excluding the Awami League, whose registration remains suspended. Besides, the EC recognised three new parties, including NCP, as registered parties. In late September 2025, the Commission opened a series of electoral dialogues with different stakeholders amid talks with civil society representatives on September 28. Election campaign: Code of conduct published in gazette, banning posters-drones, AI-social media misuse Later, the EC held separate dialogues with the representatives of teachers, senior journalists from different media outlets, election experts and election observers. In a bid to conduct the next election in a free, participatory and fair manner, the EC sat in a views-exchange with different law enforcement agencies and intelligences on October 20 and with top government officials, including secretaries of key ministries, directors general of important agencies on October 30 last.

The Election Commission (EC) has announced a ‘Jihad’ (all-out war) to hold a free and fair election as the future of the country depends on the polls, said EC Commissioner Md. Anwarul Islam Sarker. Speaking at a daylong workshop titled ‘Identifying Challenges and Solutions for Polling Officials in the Election Process,” at BARD in Cumilla on Monday (10th November 2025), he assured all not to be afraid about the upcoming elections. “The 180 million people of our country expect a good election. We have faced many shameful moments in the past, but this time we must erase that stigma and deliver an acceptable and beautiful election,” the election commissioner asserted. Setting aside all speculations about the election schedule, he said only 80 to 90 days are left to go for the election, and if anyone now doubts whether the election will be held, that is a misconception. The election will be held in due time and it will be participatory and transparent, he asserted. Don’t test patience of July revolutionaries: Press Secretary to AL supporters Urging election officials to play a neutral role during the polls, he said, “Gaining the trust of the people is our greatest achievement. Perform your duties fearlessly and impartially—the nation stands with you.” EC Joint Secretary Md. Abdul Halim Khan, Cumilla Deputy Commissioner Md. Amirul Kaiser, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Nazir Ahmed Khan, and Project Director Muhammad Mostafa Hasan of the CBTEP project under the Election Commission Secretariat participated in the event. Speakers stressed the importance of every polling official performing their duties responsibly, as polling stations reflect the essence of democracy. District and Upazila-level election officials discussed potential challenges in the field and ways to overcome them. Read more: Effective election management foundation of credible democracy: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin has highlighted the importance of building institutional readiness, stressing that effective election management is the foundation of a credible democracy. The EC, with support from the United Nations, has launched a nationwide series of regional trainings aimed at strengthening the capacity of election officials in preparation for the upcoming national elections. “Through these training programmes, we are building not only skills but also the confidence and commitment needed to ensure free, fair and transparent elections,” said the CEC. He said this training marks a milestone in our preparation for the upcoming elections. “The practical modules will enable our officials to replicate lessons across the country, enhancing capacity and confidence at every level.” Next election to determine Bangladesh’s future direction: CEC The first of 10 three-day regional trainings concluded on November 7 in Dhaka, bringing together election officials from the region for hands-on sessions focused on crisis management, cybersecurity, gender equality, human rights and media and elections, said UNDP on Sunday. Senior Secretary of the Election Commission Akhtar Ahmed and Head of Office and Representative of UNESCO Dr Susan Vize, UN Women Representative Gitanjali Singh, UNDP Resident Representative, Sonali Dayaratne, were present. The training is part of the UN Electoral Assistance BALLOT and DRIP projects, implemented jointly with UNDP, UN Women and UNESCO. The nationwide training series will continue in nine other regions over the next several weeks, reaching hundreds of EC officials. The initiative, UNDP said, reflects the Election Commission’s strong commitment to professionalism, inclusion, and transparency in the electoral process, ensuring that every vote counts and every voice matters. BNP to meet CEC Thursday to raise concerns over EC’s neutrality

Moving into the election mode, the Election Commission will start a series of dialogues with registered political parties this week to lay the groundwork for the upcoming national election scheduled for February. But the political parties would be invited in groups to join the discussions due to time constraints before the election schedule to be announced in early December, according to EC officials They said the dialogues, considered the Commission’s last major task before the election schedule, will take around two weeks to complete ahead of the 13th parliamentary election. “The dialogues with political parties will begin next week. It will have to invite them in groups due to time constraints (before the announcement of election schedule),” said EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Thursday (6th November 2025). Replying to a question, he told UNB that it will not be possible to complete the dialogues within a week rather it would take two weeks. EC registers 66 local election observer organisations, identifies 16 more eligible As part of preparations for the dialogues with political parties, the Commission has already made changes to the electoral code of conduct in line with an ordinance promulgated on November 3, bringing further amendment to the Representation of the People Order, 1972. The Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates in Parliamentary Elections Rules 2025 will soon be published in the official gazette, with the code expected to be one of the key discussion issues during the dialogues. “We have sent the code of conduct (to publish it in the official gazette). So, the dialogue will be opened next week,” said the EC Secretary. The Election Commission traditionally holds talks with registered political parties before each national election. Each party was usually invited to join the dialogue separately. However, this time it is still uncertain whether the Jatiya Party and some other registered parties, known as the allies of Sheikh Hasina's regime toppled through the 2014 mass uprising, will be invited to the talks. Currently, there are 53 registered political parties, excluding the Awami League, whose registration remains suspended. Besides, the EC on Tuesday last published notifications seeking objections, if any, against the registration to three new political parties –National Citizen Party (NCP), Bangladesh Aam Janagan Party and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist). The Commission will finally recognise them as the registered parties after November 12. Jamaat now wants referendum any day before election: Azad In late September 2025, the Commission opened a series of electoral dialogues with different stakeholders amid talks with civil society representatives on September 28. Then the EC sat in another discussion with the representatives of teachers on the same day. On October 06, the Commission held two separate dialogues with senior journalists from different media outlets. Besides, the EC held dialogues with election experts and election observers in October last. In a bid to conduct the next election in free, participatory and fair manners, the EC sat in a views-exchange with different law enforcement agencies and intelligences on October 20 and with top government officials, including secretaries of key ministries, directors general of important agencies on October 30 last. According to the electoral roadmap unveiled in August 2025, dialogues with stakeholders, including political parties, civil society members, journalists, observers, and election experts, were scheduled to begin in late September and conclude within about one and a half months. The Commission either completed or almost finished all important tasks, including amendment to the electoral laws,delimitation of constituencies, updating the voter lists, finalisation of polling stations, registration of new political parties and registration of election observers. The EC has already amended different electoral laws including RPO; as well as revised the three separate guidelines for journalists, observers and installation of polling stations:  The Commission on September 04 last finalised the delimitation of 300 constituencies, redrawing the boundaries of 46 parliamentary seats in 16 different districts across the country ahead of the 2026 February election. Over 48,000 police officers complete election training: Police HQ The EC on October 27 released the final list of 42,761 polling stations throughout the country for the upcoming national election, raising the number by around 611 from what was in the 2024 national election. The Commission on November 02 released the draft updated electoral rolls with more than 12.76 core voters in the country, which would be the final voter lists for the 2026 February election. The electoral rolls would be finalised on November 18. The Commission on Thursday last registered 66 organisations as local election observers as well as identified 16 more firms as eligible for registration as local election observers. The final decision over the 16 organisations will be taken following settlement of objections if any to be received by November 27 next. The EC will launch a mobile app for the expatriates and others to register first to vote through the postal ballot during the 2026 election. So, the upcoming dialogues with political parties will mark the Commission’s final major engagement before announcing the election schedule next month. Read more: No application for voter relocation to be accepted after Nov 10

The Election Commission (EC) will not accept any application for the relocation of voting addresses after November 10, ahead of the 13th parliamentary election slated for early February 2026. The EC announced the deadline for voter transfer applications based on changes in residence in a circular issued on Tuesday (4th November 2025). Over 48,000 police officers complete election training: Police HQ According to the circular, November 10 is the last date for submitting applications, while registration officers must approve or reject them by November 17. The Election Commission is planning to announce the schedule for the upcoming general election in early December 2025.

The Election Commission has decided to award registration to three political parties, including the National Citizen Party (NCP), said EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Tuesday (4th November 2025). The two other parties are Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist) and Bangladesh Aamjanagan Party. “We’ve verified the authenticity of their documents submitted with the registration applications. The Commission considered that these three parties are eligible for registration,” he told reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital. A public notification will be published in newspapers regarding the registration of these parties on Wednesday, the EC Secretary added. A public notification will be published in newspapers on Wednesday inviting objections, if any, against the registration of the parties, the EC Secretary added. Earlier on September 30 last, the EC Secretary said the two parties – National Citizen Party-NCP and Bangladesh Jatiya League – preliminarily met the registration conditions. The applications of 12 other parties are under further review. Read more: NCP forms 10-member Election Steering Committee led by Nasiruddin Patwary Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jatiya League was dropped from the list of eligible parties. On March 10, 2025 the Commission invited applications from the new political parties by April 20 next to get registered ahead of the 13th parliamentary election. The EC received applications from 143 parties seeking registration within the extended deadline of June 22 last. After scrutiny, 22 parties were shortlisted for field-level inquiries to verify the authenticity of their claims of fulfillment of registration conditions. A total of 57 parties have so far obtained registration, but five of them—Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Freedom Party, Oikyabodha Nagorik Andolan, PDP and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa)—later lost their status due to different grounds and court orders. But Jamaat and Jagpa got back their registration following the court orders. Besides, the registration of Awami League remains suspended. Read more: Abbas fears interim govt may use illegal means to secure win for Jamaat, NCP 

The number of registered voters in Bangladesh has reached approximately 12.76 crore, according to the draft updated electoral rolls released by the Election Commission (EC) on Sunday. The total number of the country’s voters is 12,76,12,384. Of them, 6,47,60,382 are male, 6,28,50,772 are female, and 1,230 are from the third gender voters, said EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told a press briefing at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city. Final voter lists to be published Nov 18 The draft electoral rolls will be finalised on November 18 ahead of the 13th parliamentary election by receiving and settling complaints, if any, over the draft list. The EC secretary said the number of voters increased by 13,04,880 between September 1, 2025 and October 31, 2025. The number of male voters is 19,09,610 higher than that of female voters in the country’s electoral rolls. “Those who turned 18 by October 31 last and completed their registration have been included in the voter lists,” he said. EC launches NID, voter registration services for Bangladeshis in Canada The EC will receive any objection and recommendation over the draft electoral rolls by November 17 and release the final lists ahead of the next general election to be held in early February 2026. Earlier, on August 31, the EC had released a supplementary voter list showing 12,63,07,504 total voters, including 6,41,00,455 males, 6,22,05,819 females, and 1,230 third-gender voters.

The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday released a revised list of 119 electoral symbols, incorporating ‘Water Lily Bud’ (Shapla Koli), a symbol sought by the National Citizen Party (NCP). According to the revised schedule, 20 new symbols have been added to the list, while 16 old ones have been dropped. Other newly included symbols are: Camel, Comb, Torchlight, Table Lamp, Tractor, Dressing Table, Lock, Double-decker Bus, Turban, Water Tap, Palanquin, Fruit Basket, Baby Taxi, Electric Bulb, Motorcycle, Staircase, Sunflower, Railway Engine, and Handshake. The dropped symbols are: Banana, Cot, Ostrich, Charger Light, Tiffin Carrier, Drum, Watermelon, Refrigerator, Flute, Bench, Brinjal, Balloon, Bottle Gourd, Conch Shell, Suitcase, and Flower Pot. Earlier, the EC had published a list of 115 symbols that did not include ‘Water Lily Bud’, despite repeated demands from NCP to allocate the symbol since the new party applied for registration.