EC to unveil poll roadmap this week

Election Commission (EC) Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed has said that EC has finalized several key measures and a comprehensive action plan has already been drafted and submitted to the commission for approval in preparation for the upcoming parliamentary elections, and it will be made public within this week.

Speaking to reporters on Monday (August 18) at the EC headquarters in Agargaon, the secretary outlined several ongoing initiatives.

On delimitation and voter list updates, he said hearings on 82 objections regarding constituency boundaries will be held from August 24 for four consecutive days, after which final decisions will be taken.

Regarding NID corrections, Akhtar Ahmed noted that around 80,000 appeals have been filed nationwide after initial rejections, which will be reconsidered. He added that improved data entry could reduce the number of objections significantly.

On Form-2 voter registration scans, he said the commission has begun digitizing old registration forms from the 2008 process, which will enrich the national database once uploaded to the EC portal.

On polling centers and booths, the secretary explained that no new centers will be added; instead, adjustments will be made within existing centers to balance voter turnout. Currently, there is one booth for every 500 voters, but this may be increased to 600 per booth.

On political party registration, he said field-level verification is ongoing for 22 parties that had applied. Applicants whose requests were rejected are being informed with clear explanations about which conditions were not met.

Responding to questions on law and order, Akhtar Ahmed said the EC sees no cause for concern at present. “Everyone just needs to organize their respective responsibilities. The EC is focusing on election management, field administration is working locally, and law enforcement agencies are carrying out their duties. Preparations are being made in advance so that there is no last-minute rush or disruption,” he added.