The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The Election Commission would decide on its own whether or not to enlist the stranded Pakistanis as voters if the Home Ministry does not take a decision shortly about the people caught in limbo since Bangladesh's independence in 1971.

Meanwhile, the EC would request the High Court to resolve the issue of holding dialogue with BNP by December 13, as the HC has put it on the hold amid squabbling between two factions of the immediate-past ruling party in the interim period.

"The decision on whether they (stranded Pakistanis) would be made voter or not has not been taken yet. The matter has been sent to the Home Ministry. They will apprise us about their decision on the issue soon. Otherwise, we will take a decision ourselves," Election Commissioner M Sohul Hussain told reporters this (Tuesday) afternoon.

He said enumerators would visit residences in the capital even at night to collect the particulars of service-holders left out during last week's door-to-door visit.

With collection of voters' particulars the EC started its initial voter-listing task in Dhaka City Corporation area on November 20 and voter-particular collections were to complete within 7-10 days.

But the enumerators couldn't knock at the doors of many homes yet. Moreover, voters were not found home during the enumerators' day visit and the DCC voter-listing programme became difficult.

In this perspective, Sohul said, the EC is thinking about recruiting more enumerators to collect voters' particulars at night.

"Most service-holders s ptay at home at night. So, we'll think whether more enumerators can be recruited to go door to door at night," he said.

"We won't appeal. We'll accept whatever the court will decide. But the winter vacation of court is to start from December 13. We'll request the court to resolve the matter by then," he said when asked what the EC would do about the stay order on EC letter inviting the Saifur-Hafiz faction of BNP to sit for electoral dialogue.