The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rajshahi

Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda here yesterday said the schedule for the national election would be announced soon after getting the final voter list at the end of October and the poll would be held in the third week of December.

"We will do nothing from October to December except the matters related to the holding of the Jatiya Sangsad election," Dr Huda told the journalists after attending the closing hearing of objections to delimitation of parliamentary constituencies in Rajshahi Division in the conference hall of the deputy commissioner of the district.

Dr Huda said, "We have completed the nationwide objection hearing with the today's one and are expecting that the gazette of the seat delimitation would be published by July 10 next. We are also committed to doing nothing that can hinder or create obstacles to the holding of the national poll."

He said work for the voter registration was completed today and preparation of the final voter list would be completed by October after preparing the nationwide draft voter list. No election will be held in September, as it is the month of Ramadan.

The CEC said the EC has announced poll schedules for four city corporations and nine pourasabhas where preparation of the final voter list is completed. It will also announce the election schedule of the Dhaka City Corporation and necessary preparation is being taken.

Dr Huda said there is no chance of changing the election schedule, which has already been announced.

"A nationwide complete final voter list is essential for holding the national election as it is held in a day across the country, but there is no need for the list for holding the local government election," he said replying to a query relating to the violation of the Constitution.

In this regard, Election Commissioner (EC) Sohul Hussain said the holding of the local body election before the national election is legitimate.

Referring to the seat delimitation, the CEC said parliamentary seats have been delimitated on the basis of population and only for the election purposes. He said the EC would review some of the objections regarding the demarcation.

Election Commissioners M Sohul Hussain and Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain, and some EC officials, among others, were present.

Hearing of the objections to draft delimitation of 13 parliamentary constituencies in the four districts under the Rajshahi division was held today. The seats are Rajshahi-6, Kurigram 2 and 3, Bogra 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, and Sirajganj 1, 2, 5 and 6.