Excepting for the remote areas, ballot papers for the 12 Jatiya Sangsad (JS) election slated for January 7, 2024, will arrive at the polling centres across the country on the morning of the polls day, said officials of the Election Commission (EC),
The EC on Monday issued a notification in this regard outlining security arrangements for the transportation and distribution of essential election materials.
It said, "Security arrangements will be made for the transportation and distribution of election materials and ballot papers will be sent to the polling centres on the morning of the polling day."
Describing the decision to reporters during a briefing at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal said, "There was a demand for this from many, and this will increase transparency."
The CEC also said, "We had decided long ago that the ballot papers would be sent in the morning as far as possible before polling starts. We have given it a lot of thought.
"However, it will not be possible to send the papers (in the morning) to remote areas or where we have to go by water. Besides, it will not
be possible in the islands. For this, I have issued a circular regarding sending the ballot paper in the morning before polling. For remote areas, helicopters will be used."
Officials said the move would help avoid "allegations or controversy" over voting taking place at night instead of election day.
During a dialogue earlier with the EC, Jatiya Party (JaPa) General Secretary Mujibul Haque Chunnu raised the issue of filling ballot boxes with votes on the night before the 11st national election saying he has himself has sanctioned such activities.
"We are proposing that the ballot paper be delivered on the morning of the election day. This way there would not be any issue of filling ballot boxes the night before. What can I say, even I have allowed such types of activities? It is not right," he said.
Meanwhile, the EC notification also emphasised that security measures must be rigorously enforced during the transport of election materials, including ballot papers and ballot boxes, from the Election Commission Secretariat to various levels—district, upazila, and polling stations.
Besides, coordination with law enforcement, particularly the Superintendent of Police, was mandated to ensure comprehensive security.
Moreover, the EC Secretariat is directed to draft specialised security plans for material transportation at divisional, regional, or district levels as needed.
Similar precautionary measures are expected to be in place for the transportation and distribution of materials between divisions/regions, districts, and upazilas.
According to the EC official sources, the number of total polling centres is 42,103 and total voters are 11,96,81,633. Among the total voters, 6,07,71,000 are male, 5,89,19,202 are female and 825 are masculine gendre.
Besides, a total of 9,09,529 officials and employees are going to be engaged in the polls duties. Of them 4,06,364 are presiding officers, 2,87,722 assistant presiding officers and 5,75,443 polling officers.
Alongside the deployment of army personnel, the EC is going to engage 7,5 lakh personnel from different law-enforcement and security agencies in view to hold the election free, fair and violence free.