EC forms five committees to gear up for next general election

The Election Commission (EC) has formed five separate seven-member coordination committees to accelerate preparations ahead of the next parliamentary election, expected to be held in early 2026.

Formed on Wednesday, each committee is led by an election commissioner, with the EC’s senior secretary and additional secretary included as members in all five bodies.

Election Commissioner Tahmida Ahmad will head the committee responsible for monitoring the preparation of polling officer panels and training programmes. Other members include the Director General of the EC’s NID Registration Wing, two joint secretaries, and a deputy secretary.

Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud will lead the committee tasked with monitoring and coordinating electoral laws, rules, policies, and the functions of electoral inquiry bodies. The panel includes two joint secretaries and two deputy secretaries.

Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah will chair the coordination committee on Out-of-Country Voting (OCV) and Local and Foreign Observers. Its members include a joint secretary, a deputy secretary, the EC’s public relations director, and ICT system manager.

Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker will head the committee coordinating with field administration on electoral activities. This team also includes the NID Registration Wing DG, two joint secretaries, and a deputy secretary.

Sanaullah will also lead a separate committee on field-level law and order coordination and monitoring. Its members include the Project Director of the EC’s IDEA Project (Phase-II), two joint secretaries, and a deputy secretary.

Meanwhile, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday directed all concerned agencies to complete necessary preparations by December to ensure a peaceful and orderly general election.

The directive came at a meeting held at the State Guest House Jamuna in the capital, attended by Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, top officials of law enforcement agencies, and other relevant departments.

The meeting discussed the deployment of law enforcement personnel for seven days—before, during, and after polling—to maintain law and order. Around 800,000 members of law enforcement and Ansar personnel will be deployed during the election.

The Chief Adviser also instructed authorities to ensure CCTV coverage at approximately 16,000 vulnerable polling stations out of a total 47,000. He also called for body-worn cameras to be used by police officers at polling centres to enhance transparency and prevent irregularities.