The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Election Commission (EC) wishes to hold the local-government elections at a convenient time at the end of next month or middle of May if possible.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr ATM Shamsul Huda said this while addressing a training programme on voter list with photographs and national identity (ID) cards at Shilpakala Academy in Goalanda Upazila under Rajbari district yesterday.

"We want to hold polls to four city corporations. We also want to hold election to Dhaka City Corporation before the national polls," he said.

The CEC, however, said that the EC is also considering whether the Upazila and national elections could be held together. "If it is held together, the elections would be completed with same manpower and cost," he observed. The meeting, chaired by Rajbari Deputy Commissioner Mahfuzur Rahman, was also addressed, by Brig Gen (Retd) Shah Atiqur Rahman, Acting Police Super Mahfuzur Rahman, District Election Officer Rakib Uddin Mondal and Goalanda Upazila Nirbahi Officer M Moniruzzaman.

Shamsul Huda reiterated that the national elections would be held by the end of 2008 anyway and said the first target of the EC is to hold the national elections on completion of the work on voter list.

"After completion of the work on voter list, we will go for the general elections in accordance with our roadmap," he said.

The CEC cautioned that if anyone missed such national identity card, then he/she would have to face many hurdles in future.