70% Local Election Materials Ready: EC Secretary

“So, there was no reason for concern about supply lines or election material shortages. Rather we can say we’re going to get all necessary items within the given time of September,” he said while talking to reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital.

The EC Secretary said two out of 10 types of election materials – stamp pads and indelible ink pens – will be provided by the UNDP, while the remaining eight items are being procured locally.

“We have asked UNDP to deliver the two items by October 15. As for the rest, nearly 70 percent of the materials have already been received, and the remaining will arrive by September,” he said.

The eight items being locally procured are locks of transparent ballot boxes, gala (glue), official seals, marking seals, brass seals, large hessian bags, small hessian bags and gunny bags.

Talking about the EC’s planned dialogues with stakeholders later this month, Akhtar Ahmed said the matter will be placed in next week’s commission meeting to finalise the invitees, schedule and other related issues.

Replying to a question if the Jatiya Party would be invited, he said it was too early for him to comment as the decision rests with the Election Commission.

New Party Registration

The Election Commission is set to make a final decision next week on granting registration to new political parties ahead of the parliamentary election scheduled for early February 2026.

“We are most likely to finalise the matter in a commission meeting on Sunday or Monday, and will then inform the media,” said Akhtar Ahmed.

He said the commission has already collected field-level information (related to registration conditions) of 22 political parties who sought registration.

“The activities of these 22 parties have been largely scrunised,” the EC Secretary added.

Since the Chief Election Commissioner returned to Dhaka this (Thursday) morning (from Canada), they expect that the final decision will be made on Sunday or Monday.

A total of 144 political parties applied for registration early this year and then the EC initially shortlisted 22 parties following the initial scrutiny.

Awaiting Court Decisions

Talking about the delimitation of constituencies, the EC Secretary said since 14 writ petitions were filed with the higher courts, challenging the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies, the commission is waiting for the court’s decisions.

“Many of you are curious about the matter of constituency boundaries. As far as I have learnt, 14 writs have been filed from different places over the issue. Since the matter is now under the jurisdiction of the court, I think it is sub-judice to comment further,” he said.

The EC on September 04 issued a gazette notification finalising the delimitation, which brought changes to the boundaries of 46 constituencies across 16 districts as well as raised the number of constituencies by one in Gazipur district and declined the number by one in Bagerhat district, ahead of the national election, scheduled for early February 2026.

People in several areas, including Bagerhat, Faridpur and Brahmanbaria, protested the new boundaries.

The EC secretary said both the petitioners and the Election Commission itself have full confidence in the judiciary. “We’ll have to wait until the court’s decisions,” he added.

When his attention is drawn to the legal provision in this regard, he said although the law states under its section 7 that such issues are not acceptable in court, the writ petitions were accepted by the High Court as anyone has fundamental rights to file writ petition. “So, I don’t think it is within my authority to provide any legal interpretation now,” he said.

The Article 7 of the Delimitation of Constituencies Ordinance, 1976 states the validity of the delimitation or formation of any constituency, or of any proceedings taken or anything done by or under the authority of the Commission, under this Ordinance shall not be called in question in or before any Court or other authority.

Replying to a question about protests and vandalism centering on constituency boundary changes, the senior secretary said violence is unexpected under any circumstances.

He reiterated that since the matter is pending before the court, the Election Commission will abide by whatever decision comes from the judiciary.

The current commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin re-demarcated 46 constituencies: Panchagarh-1 and 2, Rangpur-1 and 3, Sirajganj-1 and 2, Pabna-1 and 2, Bagerhat-1, 2 and 3, Satkhira-2, 3 and 4, Manikganj-2 and 3, Dhaka-2, 4, 5, 7, 10 and 14, Gazipur-1, 2, 3, 5 and 6, Narayanganj-3, 4 and 5, Faridpur-2 and 4, Shariatpur-2 and 3, Brahmanbaria-2 and 3, Cumilla-1, 2, 6 and 10, Noakhali-1, 2, 4 and 5, and Chattogram-7 and 8.

In the final delimitation, the number of constituencies in Gazipur rose from five to six, while Bagerhat’s fell from four to three.

Earlier, on July 30, the EC had published a draft delimitation of the 300 constituencies, proposing boundary changes in 39 constituencies across 14 districts. In the draft delimitation, six constituencies were also proposed for Gazipur district, reducing the number of parliamentary seats to 3 in Bagerhat.

Following the draft publication, the commission received some 1,893 applications containing claims, complaints and suggestions over 84 constituencies.

Then the Election Commission arranged a four-day hearing on the claims, objections and recommendations regarding the re-demarcation of parliamentary constituencies on August 24-27.

The previous Election Commission, headed by Kazi Habibul Awal, re-demarcated 10 constituencies ahead of the 12th national election, while the KM Nurul Huda-led commission changed the boundaries of 25 constituencies ahead of the 2018 general election and Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad-headed commission redrew the boundaries of 87 constituencies ahead of 10th parliamentary election.

In 2008, the ATM Shamsul Huda-led commission made massive changes in the 133 constituencies before the 9th general election, reports UNB.