Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Retd) Abdul Fazal Md Sanaullah has informed foreign diplomats stationed here that the Election Commission is preparing for the next general election, assuming it will be held in December.
"We have told them that we must make preparations based on the earliest possible date for the election. Our position remains unchanged. We are preparing with December in mind. We do not have different preparations," he told reporters after a meeting at Nirbachan Bhaban on Tuesday.
The meeting was held between the Election Commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, and foreign diplomats from 18 countries, along with representatives from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), at Nirbachan Bhaban.
Responding to a question, he said the Election Commission may consider holding local government elections before the national polls if the government makes such a request.
He said: "Based on past experience, conducting elections for the five tiers of local government takes about a year. Not all local government institutions have become ineffective—some have. Given these conditional factors, it is not possible to provide a specific timeline."
He expressed confidence that the government would take the commission’s schedule into account.
The commission will also remain vigilant to ensure that nothing disrupts the national elections, Sanaullah said.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Monday that Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus informed them that his government is working to arrange the next general election by December this year.
“The chief adviser and those who were with him assured us that they will arrange the election very soon. Prof Yunus also said they are working to arrange the election by December this year,” Fakhrul said while speaking to reporters after a meeting with the chief adviser.
Fakhrul led a three-member BNP delegation during the 90-minute meeting with the chief adviser at the State Guest House Jamuna in the evening.