CEC meets chief adviser

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin called on Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus yesterday after the government announced a tentative election timeline earlier this month.

This was the first meeting between the two after the announcement.

The meeting took place at the State Guest House Jamuna, said Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, deputy press secretary to the chief adviser.

The pre-scheduled meeting lasted one and a half hours, said sources.

On June 13, Yunus said the next parliamentary election could be held a week ahead of Ramadan in 2026, provided all preparations are completed.

The announcement followed a meeting in London with BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, where the latter suggested holding the election before Ramadan.

Yunus previously said the elections could be held in the first half of April next year.

After the meeting with Tarique, he said the February timeline will depend on progress in reforms and the trials of perpetrators of killings in the July uprising.

National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman, in a joint statement with BNP leader Amir Khosru, said the meeting went well, and the nation can expect the Election Commission to announce a date for the election soon.

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Fair polls not possible without govt support: CEC

On June 15, CEC Nasir Uddin said the commission would be able to gauge the government's position on the election schedule only after formal discussions.

On Saturday, the CEC also said that a free and fair election is not possible without the cooperation of the government no matter how independent the election commission is.

The EC is advancing its preparatory work for the upcoming national polls, he added.

The commission has asked for information from authorities regarding minor repairs at educational institutions that are likely to be used as polling centres.

The EC said that it has already made significant progress in several key areas, including updating the voter list, finalising parliamentary constituency boundaries, registering new political parties as well as amendment to the several laws and rules.