Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Tuesday said that there is no possibility of vote rigging in the upcoming election.
He told this to journalists after a discussion with administration and election officials at Primary Teachers Training Institute (PTI) auditorium in Chittagong on Tuesday afternoon.
Earlier, CEC held an exchange meeting with the candidates at LGED auditorium in Chittagong.
Regarding the polling station’s transparency, CEC said: "There is no possibility of moving ballots from the polling stations. We are 100% sure of that. Besides, candidates can send their agents in the morning to check the polling station’s environment. We urged candidates to trust in the electoral process. The ballot papers will be sent to polling stations in the morning.”
Regarding the vote rigging at night, he said: “To ensure accuracy, polling agents must ensure that no vote was cast before election starts and they must stay there until vote counting and announcement completion.”
Reflecting on the candidate interaction, the CEC said: "We exchanged views with candidates in the morning, conveyed our instructions, and listened to their concerns. Most candidates reported a satisfactory law and order situation, with isolated incidents such as poster destruction and election campaign office fires. However, overall, candidates expressed satisfaction with the returning officer and police administration."
During the meeting with candidates, some expressed doubts about the voting process, despite overall positive feedback.
The CEC acknowledged these concerns and said: "A few candidates doubted the voting process and fears that all the ballots will be filled with a particular party symbol. We have identified this as deliberate misinformation or misunderstanding."