Election Commission, EC, has finalised two work plans for preparatory work of the 11th national election. The plans are being raised today, Monday, at an EC meeting.

One work plan has 99 task checklist, including declaration of schedule, voting and the declaration of election results.

The work plan mentions the submission of nomination papers in November, withdrawal of candidates by December and plans for electoral campaign and the publication of the final candidates’ list.

However, the work plan does not mention any specific dates for holding the election or declaring the schedule.

The other work plan mentions 22 tasks to be implemented between 16 October and 10 November.

The tasks include: formation of election expenditure committee, campaign on social media platforms, law and order meetings, electronic voting systems and other issues.

Election Commission’s additional secretary, Mokhlesur Rahman, told Bangla Tribune: “the meeting will discuss the entire gamut of the EC’s work for the upcoming polls.”

The EC meeting will also discuss – reforming voters’ list to include trans-genders, usage of Electronic Voting Machines, EVMs and their exhibition, submission of reports on irregularities in two Sylhet city corporation elections and reforming the election conducting guideline.

As per rules, the national elections need to be held between 31 October and 28 January.

Sources say, schedule may be declared between November 1 and November 10 and voting may be held on the last week of December.

Election Commission’s direction will be asked on other issues: formation of expense monitoring committee, gathering information of loan defaulters, formation of electoral inquiry committee and other issues.

The talks will also include the usage of Geographical Information System, GIS, for major cities like Dhaka, Sylhet, Chittagong, Gazipur, Rajshahi and Rangpur.

In November, the EC will have meetings with social media platforms, ICT ministry and mobile operator companies. In December, they will have meetings with the media, TNT, BTRC and ministry of information.

By 10 November next, supplementary voters’ list will be supplied and by 30 October, all forms and packets will be sent to the field level.

During this time, voting ingredients, gunny bags, hessian bags, stamp pads, marking, brush and official seals will be collected. 

Between 22 October and 25 October, inter-ministerial meet will be held. Afterwards, proposals to recover illegal weapons, deployment of forces and appointment of magistrates will be raised at the commission. All preparations to use EVMs will also be finalised this month.