Rangpur by-polls schedule on Sept 1, says EC secy

The schedule for the by-polls to Rangpur-3 constituency that fell vacant following the death of Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad will be announced on September 1 next, UNB reports.

"The Election Commission (EC) at a meeting on Tuesday decided to announce the polls schedule for Rangpur-3 on September 1," said EC Secretary Md Alamgir at a press conference at the Commission’s media centre.

The entire by-polls will be held using electronic voting machines (EVMs) instead of traditional ballot papers, he said.

On July 14 last, HM Ershad, who was elected from the constituency in the 11th general election held on December 30, 2018, died at a city hospital.

The EC has a constitutional obligation to complete the by-polls within 90 days after the constituency fell vacant.

The Secretary said the EC has planned to launch a pilot programme in Singapore in the second week of September next to enroll expatriate Bangladeshis in the voter list.

The Commission has already sought permission from the government of Singapore to start the programme there.

Taking the experiences in Singapore, the Commission will go to other countries to make expatriate Bangladeshis voters, Alamgir said.

He said the EC at the meeting also decided to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Bangladesh Election Commission and the Central Election Commission of Russian Federation for cooperation between the two electoral bodies.