The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Preparation of voter list in Dhaka will start from the last week of next month. The voter registration work would begin with the outskirts of the city like Utar Khan, Kamrangir Char and Dania.

However, the Election Commission (EC) is yet to decide when it would start the task of voter enrolment in Dhaka City Corporation (DCC).

Briefing journalists Election Commission (EC) Secretary M Humayun Kabir said that decision in this regard, would be taken at an inter-ministerial meeting scheduled to be held today at the conference room of the commission.

He said the EC in a meeting yesterday approved a draft of its new recruitment rules for the officials and employees of the commission with a provision to make all the appointments transferable.

Replying to a question, the EC Secretary said it is too early to say when the DCC election would be held. Rather, it may be disclosed after completion of voter list in the city, he added.

He indicated that it would take more time to complete the voter list in Dhaka than other places of the country.

The EC Secretary said the commission would get 8000 laptops and other equipment by the end of October through the UNDP. Of these, the EC has already got 1,000 laptops.

Availability of laptops will expedite the task of preparing the voter list, he said adding that the voter enrolment would not be delayed due to shortage of laptops.

"We will get most of the laptops by October 15," the EC Secretary said.

He hoped 10 per cent task of the voter list would be completed by the end of October and work would be started across the country by November next

The EC Secretary said according to the draft recruitment rules any official could be posted to the secretariat or field offices and the appointments would be transferable.

There will be a change only in designation not in rank if any official is transferred to secretariat from field office or to field office from secretariat, he said.

He said the approved draft of the new recruitment rules would be sent to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for examining and then to the Public Service Commission (PSC) and Establishment Ministry for completing the other formalities.