Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Sunday (October 1) warned of taking stern action if the media spread propaganda over the next national elections. 

He sounded the note of warning during the inaugural speech of a workshop organized by the Electoral Training Institute in the capital today.

CEC said: "There is a lot of misinformation the media circulates these days; these are called misinformation and disinformation. Anything can be created and spread. We will firmly prevent them so that the elections are not harmed."

He told the workshop participants:  "People's trust must be earned. The election will be conducted under the supervision of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO). Elections should be free, fair, acceptable, and peaceful."

"However, the voters should be able to come to the polling station and cast their votes. Otherwise, you will be held responsible. The police will take the help of the administration and also encourage the people to come and vote," Kazi Habibul Awal also said to the trainees.

Apart from allegations of polling agents' expulsion, many complain of assigning no agent, he said, adding, therefore, every party must confirm whether their agents are assigned or not. If the agent is stronger, the chances of vote rigging will come down, he added.

50 Upazila Executive Officers and 50 Election Officers participated in this two-day residential workshop. EC Secretary Md. Jahangir Alam, Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath, National Identity Registration Division Director General AKM Humayun Kabir, ETI Director General SM Asaduzzaman among others were present in the workshop.

BDST: 1533 HRS, OCT 1, 2023
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