by Naim-Ul-Karim
DHAKA, Dec 12 (NNN-BSS) – Bangladesh’s Election Commission, announced that, the country’s first-ever twin polls – the 13th National Parliamentary Election and a referendum – will be held on Feb 12 next year.
The country’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, made the announcement in a pre-recorded televised address last night. The CEC said, nominations are to be filed by Dec 29, which will be scrutinised from Dec 30 to Jan 4.
The chief adviser’s office of the Bangladeshi interim government announced in Oct that, the commission could announce the election date by the first week of Dec. The Election Commission (EC), last month said that, more than 127 million voters had been registered.
Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus, on Wednesday described the 13th national election as a historic opportunity, to build a new Bangladesh, following a mass uprising in July last year, and stressed that, it must be conducted in a fair and credible manner.
The Parliament of Bangladesh is a unicameral legislature, consisting of 350 members. Its composition is divided into two categories: 300 members elected through direct polls and 50 members occupying seats reserved for women.
Apart from the general elections, Bangladesh will hold a national referendum on its state reform proposals, which seeks to reshape the country’s politics and institutions, and give constitutional recognition to the 2024 uprising.
A big decision in Bangladesh’s upcoming referendum is, whether to create a second house in parliament. If approved, all future changes to the constitution would need support from this new upper house. A 100-member upper house will be formed in proportion to the votes obtained by the political parties in the national election, and any constitutional amendment shall require the approval of a majority of upper house members.
The Bangladeshi EC has already suspended the registration of ex-Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina’s political party, barring its participation in future polls.
A special tribunal in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, last month, sentenced the ousted ex-prime minister in absentia to death, for crimes against humanity, during the country’s July uprising last year.– NNN-BSS