EC unveils roadmap for polls in early February
PARBATTANEWS DESK
The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday unveiled its roadmap for the 13th National Parliament election, scheduled for the first half of February 2026. The polls come in the wake of the regime change through the recent mass uprising.
EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed announced the action plan at a press briefing at Nirbachan Bhaban in Dhaka. While no specific polling date was disclosed, he said the roadmap contains 24 major issues to be addressed through 207 steps with specific deadlines.
“The office of the Chief Adviser has asked us in writing to hold the election before Ramadan, in February 2026. So today we are announcing our action plan. Targeting the next national elections, we’ve prepared the action plan,” he told reporters.
According to the EC, the roadmap sets out key preparations, including political party registration, re-demarcation of constituencies, amendments to election laws, and updates to electoral rules and guidelines. It also covers voter list updates, introduction of a postal ballot system for expatriates, and procurement of election materials.
From the last week of September, the commission will hold dialogues with eight groups of stakeholders, including political parties, civil society, and journalists. The discussions will continue until the first week of November.
The draft voter list will be completed by 31 August, with the final version to be published on 30 November. Proposals for amendments to election laws will be submitted by the end of August, and the Law Ministry is expected to finalise the process by 30 September.
Constituency boundary demarcation will be completed by 15 September, with gazette publication the same day. Registration of political parties must be finished by 30 September, while GIS maps of constituencies will be released by 30 September.
Registration of election observers will be completed by 22 October, with certificates issued on 15 November. Permission for foreign observers and journalists will also be finalised by mid-November.
On logistics, the EC said printing of manuals, posters, and ID cards will be completed by 15 September. Transparent ballot boxes and other materials will be ready by 30 November, while collection and distribution of all items will be finished by 31 December.
Training for election officials will begin on 29 August and continue until just before polling day. The election budget will be finalised on 15 November, with follow-up meetings with law enforcement agencies from 16 to 20 November.
All manpower and administrative arrangements, including the appointment of polling officers, will be completed by 30 November. Security preparations will begin with an initial meeting on 25 September.
The roadmap also sets 31 October as the deadline for ICT-related tasks. Coordination meetings with the Information Ministry, ICT Ministry, telecom operators, and the BTRC will be completed by 15 November.
Voter awareness campaigns will end by 30 November. The commission also plans to finalise result management, including electronic displays and dissemination of unofficial results. Postal voting for expatriates will be arranged in January 2026.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin said the election schedule would be announced about two months before polling day, most likely in the first half of December.
