'Polls schedule to be announced in early Dec'

Election Commissioner (EC) Md Anwarul Islam Sarker on Friday said the schedule for the upcoming national election will be announced in the first week of December.

Talking to reporters on Friday at Patuakhali Circuit House auditorium, he said, "The Election Commission has already published a detailed action plan for the polls. We want to complete the election before the month of Ramadan."

"The question of whether the referendum will be held before or after the elections has not yet come under the commission's consideration," he added.

Replying to a query about the PR system, he said the matter is entirely political and depends on the decisions of political parties. "With everyone's cooperation, we aim to present a free and fair election in February."

The election commissioner also said that the election Code of Conduct and the list of electoral symbols have been updated. Registration of expatriate voters will begin in November, and initiatives are underway to allow imprisoned voters to cast their votes as well.

Senior Secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat Akhter Ahmed, Patuakhali Deputy Commissioner Dr Mohammad Shahid Hossain Chowdhury, and other local administration officials were present at the event.

Later, the election commissioner joined a workshop in Kuakata of the district.