Bangladesh News

The Election Commission (EC) will begin the task of updating the voter list with photographs from June 15.

Enumerators will start making door-to-door visits the same day and continue it for 10 days to collect necessary information.

The EC yesterday announced that the nationwide tasks, which include registering fresh voters, deletion of names of the deceased and transfer of names from one electoral area to another would be completed on or before December 31 this year.

As per the plan, the task of updating the roll in 481 upazilas, six city corporations and 17 unions of Dhaka circle areas will be completed in four phases. The task will begin on September 15 in Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and five other city corporation areas in the last phase.

Brig Gen Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, project director of ‘Preparation of Electoral Roll with Photographs and Facilitating the Issuance of National Identity Cards’ yesterday disclosed the schedule for the task at a press briefing at the EC Secretariat conference room.

According to the schedule, the commission will start the first phase of the task of updating the electoral roll on June 15 in 153 upazila areas of six divisions. The enumerators will continue making door-to-door visits till June 24 to collect necessary information.

The second phase of the task will begin on July 15 in another 161 upazilas and 17 unions of Dhaka circle areas, the third phase on August 15 in 167 upazilas and the last phase on September 15 in six city corporation areas.

The enumerators will collect particulars of the people, who turned 18 on January 1, 2009, the eligible age for getting included in the electoral roll.

The supervisors will begin examining the authenticity of the prospective voters’ particulars from the next day the enumerators start collecting information.

On completion of scrutiny, the voters will have to visit nearby registration centres within a deadline for having their photographs and fingerprints taken for revision of the electoral roll.

If anyone misses the deadline, he or she will have to go to upazila headquarters.

The eligible people, who were not registered on the voter list before the last parliamentary election, will have to produce valid reasons for not being included in the roll.

“For example, if an eligible individual, who could not get registered in the electoral roll, says he was abroad at that time, he will have to show passport in defence of his argument,” Shahadat Hossain said.

He said the EC initiated the procedure to prevent duplication of registration on the voter list.

On completion of registering names on the electoral roll, the voters will be provided with national identity cards later.

Referring to transfer of a voter’s name from one electoral area to another, the project director said the process would begin simultaneously with the task of updating the list.

“But one will have to file an application with upazila election officers showing valid grounds for transferring his or her name from one place to another,” he said.

Commenting on correction of mistakes on national identity cards, the project director said they would begin the task across the country.

He said if anybody loses his or her national identity card, the person would have to file a general diary with the police station and apply to the district election office to get a new one.

The EC has made necessary preparations to complete the task of updating the voter list with photographs for the first time since it prepared the roll before the ninth parliamentary election.

District election officers will act as registration officers while upazila and thana election officers will assist them as assistant registration officers.

The EC has formed a number of committees at central, division, district and upazila levels to coordinate and supervise the tasks.

Besides, the commission will launch campaign to create public awareness for ensuring people’s participation.

153 UPAZILAS IN FIRST PHASE

The 153 upazilas, where the task of updating the electoral roll will begin on June 15, include Savar of Dhaka, Charbhadrashan, Bhanga and sadar upazila of Faridpur, Gazipur sadar, Kotalipara and Tungipara of Gopalganj, Jamalpur Sadar, Kuliarchar, Hossainpur, Karimganj, Bhairab and sadar upazila of Kishoreganj, Madaripur sadar, Gheor, Harirampur and Doulatpur of Manikganj, Gajaria and sadar upazila of Munshiganj, Muktagachha, Iswarganj, Dhobaura and sadar upazila of Mymensingh, Narayanganj sadar, Palash and sadar upazila of Narsingdi, Atpara, Barhatta and sadar upazila of Netrakona, Goalandaghat and sadar upazila of Rajbari, Zanjira and sadar upazila of Shariatpur, Sherpur sadar, Dhanbari, Nagarpur, Delduar and sadar upazila of Tangail, Sitakunda, Hathajari, Patia and Lohagara of Chittagong, Banchharampur, Akhaura and sadar upazila of Brahmanbaria, Kachua and sadar upazila of Chandpur, Muradnagar, Nagolkote, Meghna, Brahmanpara and Adorsha sadar of Comilla, Ukhia, Ramu and sadar upazila of Cox’s Bazar, Fulgazi and sadar upazila of Feni, Laxmipur sadar, Subarnachar, Companiganj and sadar upazila of Noakhali, Rowangchhari and sadar upazila of Bandarban, Panchari, Dighinala and sadar upazila of Khagrachhari, Rajasthali, Kaptai, Kawkhali and sadar upazila of Rangamati, Madhabpur, Chunarughat and sadar upazila of Habiganj, Srimangal and sadar upazila of Moulvibazar, Chhatak, south Sunamganj and sadar upazila of Sunamganj, Fenchuganj, Dakkhin Companiganj and sadar upazila of Sylhet, Nandigram, Dhunat, Shahjahanpur and sadar upazila of Bogra, Bholahat and sadar upazila of Chapainawabganj, Bochaganj, Chirirbandar, Biral and sadar upazila of Dinajpur, Phulchhari, Polashbari and sadar upazila of Gaibandha, Joypurhat sadar, Rajibpur, Rowmari and sadar upazila of Kurigram, Lalmonirhat sadar, Badalgachhi, Atrai, Raninagar and sadar upazila of Naogaon, Bagatipara and sadar upazila of Natore, Domar and sadar upazila of Nilphamari, Bhangura, Ishwardi and sadar upazila of Pabna, Panchagarh Sadar, Tanore, Godagari and Paba of Rajshahi, Gangachhara and sadar upazila of Rangpur, Kamarkhanda, Chowhali and sadar upazila of Sirajganj, Thakurgaon sadar, Kachua, Monglaport and sadar upazila of Bagerhat, Chuadanga sadar, Sharsha and sadar upazila of Jessore, Kotchandpur and sadar upazila of Jhenidah, Terkhada, Rupsa and Phultala of Khulna, Khoksha and sadar upazila of Kushtia, Magura sadar, Meherpur sadar, Narail sadar, Debhata and sadar upazila of Satkhira, Gauranadi, Agailjhara and sadar upazila of Barisal, Daulatkhan and sadar upazila of Bhola, Jhalakathi sadar, Mirzaganj, Dumki and sadar upazila of Patuakhali, Barguna sadar, Nesrabad, Zianagar and sadar upazila of Pirojpur.