The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Election Commission (EC) will set up polling booths inside the Dhaka Central Jail so that inmates, who are now being enlisted in the voter list, can cast their votes during the local government elections.

Inmates of the Dhaka Central Jail will be able to cast their votes in the polling booths to be set up inside the prison while prisoners of other district jails through postal ballots, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Retd) M Sakhawat Hossain said this while briefing journalists after a visit to view the progress of the ongoing voter registration in the central jail. The voter registration of prisoners in the central jail, for the first time in the history, began on Thursday after completion of collecting data.

Sakhawat Hossain said the inmates might be convict but as citizens of the country they have the right to vote."The right to get national ID cards also needs to be ensured. The issue of enlisting the inmates in the voter enrolment is important from the perspective of human rights," he said.

The Election Commissioner said the prisoners are happy to get this chance for the first time ever. Sakhawat Hossain said mobile teams would start visiting different hospitals in the city from today to ensure registration of patients as voters.

He said all those citizens who have been unable to register, as voters so far under Dhaka City Corporation will be given an extended deadline to enroll by Feb 29.

"Handicapped and elderly people left out from the process will also get the chance to register," he said, Sakhawat Hossain said the two former prime ministers- Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina now detained in two separate special jails would be registered as voters by the end of this month.

He said the people who will fail to be registered, as voters will not be able to contest the election time.

The Election Commissioner said except Parliament elections, none would be able to contest any election from the area where he or she was not enrolled as voters.

Asked about Khaleda Zia's letter to EC, he said he would not make any comment over the letter.

"I shall not make any comment on the media report. We will not say anything until the letter comes to us," he said.

Replying to a question, Sakhawat Hossain said the EC would take its decision as to whether the BNP would be called for the dialogue after receiving the direction of the court.

He hoped that it would be possible to hold first and second rounds of dialogues with BNP after the high court decision.

Deputy Inspector General of Prisons Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui, who accompanied him during the visit in central jail, said the letter has not reached the Election Commission yet.

He however, said if there is any political content in the letter it cannot be sent to the Election Commission because none can take any political decision during his or her staying in jail.

Sources said, of the total 8,500 inmates in Dhaka Central Jail, 3,500 have been enrolled as voters.