Risk to half of polling places: Election Commission

Sources at the Election Commission claim that more than half of the 42,025 voting places for the upcoming 12th national parliament elections are vulnerable to violence.

On election day morning, polling places will receive about 93% of all ballots cast. All returning officials have received instructions from EC Election Management department Deputy Secretary Atiyar Rahman on how to carry out this decision.

Voting materials will be sent to 39,061 (92.95% or 93%) voting places on Sunday morning, according to Additional Secretary of the EC Secretariat Ashok Kumar Debnath, who spoke with the Dhaka Tribune on Friday. The remaining 7% (2,964 centers) will receive their ballots on Saturday. With the official end of the campaign on Friday at 8 a.m., voters are eagerly anticipating election day.

Polling is scheduled for 299 constituencies from 8am to 4pm on Sunday. However, the EC has decided to postpone polling in the Naogaon-2 constituency due to the unfortunate death of a candidate. 

The Commission also refuted misinformation spreading online, saying that reports claiming the cancellation of Gaibandha-5 polling were entirely false. Officials urged the public to remain vigilant against fabricated news that causes confusion.

Hours after voting began, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal suspended the Gaibandha-5 by-elections last year, stating that they were “out of control.” A probe committee later discovered a number of anomalies.

The European Commission intends to send out 1.7 million personnel in advance of election day. This includes 800,000 law enforcement officers upholding law and order and 900,000 government workers gathering election data.

Media sources claim that miscreants had set five polling places in Feni and Rajshahi on fire despite security precautions. In order to protect the privacy of informants, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun has promised a reward of Tk20,000 to Tk100,000 for precise information regarding saboteurs anywhere in the nation.