Election schedule likely to be announced in early December: Sanaullah

The schedule for Bangladesh’s upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election is expected to be announced on any day during the first half of December, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Retd) Abul Fazl Md Sanaullah said on Tuesday.

He made the remarks while delivering the opening speech at the second phase of talks between the Election Commission (EC) and domestic election observation organisations.

The discussion was held at the EC headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, in two sessions—morning and afternoon—presided over by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, where representatives from 81 local observer groups participated.

“There is not much time left before the announcement of the election schedule. It will be declared on any day in the first half of December. You will know it at the right time,” Sanaullah told the observers.

Explaining the role of observer organisations, he said the EC grants registration to each organization for five years, during which they may observe one national election and at least four local government elections.

Observers are required to submit three types of reports: a preliminary report within seven days of the national election, a detailed report within one month, and a biennial report.

“These reports are very important for us,” he said, adding, “However, the reality is that we have not been able to benefit much from the observer reports in the past.”

Sanaullah also addressed the age requirement for election observers.

“At your request, we reduced the minimum age to 21. But we all understand how experienced a 21-year-old can be. The big challenge is how these organisations will train and prepare them adequately.”

He emphasised that the chief election commissioner has underscored one issue above all—neutrality.

“Observers must maintain 100% neutrality,” he said.

The election commissioner added that observers must be thoroughly familiar with all election-related laws and regulations.

“They need to know the reasons for cancellation of registration, the rules for investigating allegations against observers, and how such issues are resolved. Having this knowledge can help avoid many mistakes,” Sanaullah said.