The schedule for the next general election will be announced in November as the voting is likely to be held in the last week of December or the first week of January.  

“The Election Commission (EC) usually announces the schedule with 40 to 45 days in hand. As the next parliamentary polls will be held in the last week of December or the first week of January, the schedule will be announced accordingly,” Election Commissioner Md Anisur Rahman said while briefing reporters at his office at the EC secretariat in the capital on Wednesday.

Earlier on July 30, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said they will not give the schedule before October.

When asked whether the political parties will be called for a dialogue, the election commissioner said they will not arrange another dialogue.

“We asked them for dialogue but they did not respond. Now let political matters are handled by politicians,” Anisur said.

The commissioner said there will be an opportunity to submit nomination papers both online and offline in the elections.

“We are developing an app to simplify the election process. We want to introduce it before the national elections. We would be able to launch it in November,” he said.

According to him, the EC has a plan to send the ballot papers to centres in the morning of the polling day in the areas where communication system is good.

Leaders of the ruling Awami League and its alliance partners said the next national parliamentary elections will held under the Election Commission, while the opposition parties, including BNP, have been staging demonstrations to make the government bound to resign and arrange the polls under a neutral government.