DHAKA — The Election Commission will divide the country into three zones — red, yellow and green — to manage the law and order situation, EC Secretariat Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said Sunday. He spoke to reporters after Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin met with Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey at the Election Building in Agargaon, Dhaka.
Akhtar said the Commonwealth secretary-general had asked about the current law and order situation in the country. “We told them that the entire country is being divided into three zones — red, yellow and green — and the law and order situation will be managed accordingly,” he said. He said the secretary-general told them at the meeting that the Commonwealth was prepared to extend any necessary support and cooperation to Bangladesh for the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election.
“The Commonwealth secretary-general specifically told us that the Commonwealth has 56 member countries. If we want any kind of cooperation, they are ready to provide it,” he said. The secretary-general expressed particular satisfaction with electoral cooperation from the United Kingdom.
The secretary-general discussed election preparations, progress and various technical matters with the chief election commissioner, he said. They viewed the move to include expatriate Bangladeshis in voting for the first time as highly positive.
“In 53 years of history, expatriates are being included in the vote for the first time — they appreciated this. They were briefed about the materials that will be needed for the election,” Akhtar said.
The secretary-general also expressed satisfaction with women’s participation as voters and with the updated voter list. She viewed the removal of deceased voters from the rolls positively.
The Commonwealth urged vigilance over information distortion, misinformation and fake news, Akhtar said. “We told them we are regularly providing information through the media and will increase this in the future,” he said.
Botchwey stressed the importance of building trust and confidence in the electoral process, saying campaigning around elections is very important. Akhtar said expected success in the electoral process would be achievable with the cooperation of political parties. A six-member delegation led by Botchwey took part in the meeting with the chief election commissioner. Botchwey arrived in Dhaka on Thursday for a five-day visit.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report