The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

All the six Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Election Commissioners spoke against the idea to hold upazila and national elections simultaneously.

They made the observation while giving their opinion at a meeting of the Election Commission held at the Commission with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda in the chair.

During the three-hour long election-preparatory meeting, they said it is impossible to hold both the upazila and general elections together.

Briefing journalists the CEC said the Commission plans to hold upazila elections by this year; but the decision whether it would be held simultaneously with the general elections or separately would be taken in June. He said the decision might be possible to take even in the first week of June if we get the Representation of the People Ordinance 2008 and the relevant rules sooner.

"If upazila election cannot be held simultaneously; it must be held before the general elections," he asserted.

The CEC said the Commission started meetings with the field-level officials to decide how the upazila polls will be held.

"We are taking opinion of field level officials as to whether the upazila election will be held simultaneously or before the general elections," he said.

Shamsul Huda said preparations are on for holding the city corporation and municipal polls.

He said the Commission would also sit with the deputy commissioners, superintendents of police and other field-level officials in phases to discuss ways of holding the national and upazila elections.

Sources said the divisional commissioners and deputy election commissioners argued that though holding both the election might lessen the expenditure and increase the voter-turnover but it spoil the entire election process since there is no such experience in Bangladesh.

They said it would almost double the number of candidates and election agents that may create accommodation problems.

They also observed that it would take more time for which there is a possibility of voting rights remaining incomplete.

Election Commissioners-Muhammed Sohul Hussain and M Sakhawat Hussain, EC Secretary Muhammad Humayun Kabir, Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Aziz Hasan, Barisal Divisional Commissioner Mohammad Haroon Chowdhury, Chittagong Divisional Commissioner Hussain Jamil, Khulna Divisional Commissioner Eunusur Rahman, Additional Divisional Commissioner for Rajshahi Md Akhtaruzzaman and Acting Divisional Commissioner for Sylhet JN Biswas attended the preparatory meeting which began at 10:00am.

Besides, Deputy Election Commissioners of Barisal, Sylhet, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chittagong, Comilla and Dhaka and senior EC officials also attended the meeting.