Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal has called upon the countrymen to go to their respective polling centres to exercise the franchise in the 12th parliamentary election all set to be held tomorrow (January 7).

The CEC said this while addressing a press conference on overall preparation of the 12th Parliamentary Election at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon.

“The countrymen desire that they would be able to cast their votes peacefully. Not only locally but also the election will be overseen internationally,” Awal said.

He said the voting is schedule to begin around 8 am and will end around 4 pm across the country simultaneously tomorrow.    

“If the vote is stolen or rigged, the share of responsibility rests upon us too. There will be members of different law enforcement agencies to maintain law and order during the election,” he said.

Referring to the BNP’s absence in the polls process, he said a major political party is out of the election process and the election would have been participatory and competitive if the party had taken part in the election.

Replying to a query, the CEC said if there remains a queue of voters outside any polling centre even after the stipulated period of ending the vote, the polling time will be extended.  

When asked about the prevailing pre-poll violence, the CEC said he does not know who is involved in the terrorist activities but the BNP promised that they will not go for any subversive activities to foil the polls.

Meanwhile, a total of 15 fire incidents took place across the country in the last 16 hours until 10:00am on Saturday, torching six vehicles, eight schools and another establishment.

The Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters disclosed the information through a message on this afternoon.

BDST: 2004 HRS, JAN 06, 2024
MN/SMS