The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Khulna

The schedule of the national polls will be announced at the end of October, Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said.

"The parliamentary election will be held in the third week of December and the nation will get a new democratic government next year," Dr Huda said after attending a hearing on objections to delimitation of parliamentary

seats of Khulna Division at Khulna Deputy Commissioner's Conference room.

Dr Huda said work on the preparation of voter list would be completed by October after preparing the nationwide draft voter list by September. Then, the EC will declare the schedule of the national election, he added.

"The Election Commission (EC) has taken a decision to hold local body elections ahead of the national election at the request of the government. Election fever has been prevailing in the city corporations and municipalities for which the EC announced election schedule," according to him.

He noted it is not a matter of the Election Commission to see who participate in the election or who not. Parliamentary seats have been delimitated on the basis of population, Dr Huda said.

Election Commissioners M Sohul Hussain and Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain and Commission Secretary M Humayun Kabir , among others, were present.

Hearing on objections to draft delimitation of six parliamentary constituencies of Khulna Division was held yesterday. The seats are Khulna-5, Khulna-6, Jessore-4, Jessore-5, Jessore-6 and Satkhira-3.

EC said it would review some of the objections regarding demarcation.