‘Even I don’t know election date yet’: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Tuesday said he even does not yet know the date of the upcoming general election.

“How many more times do I have to speak about the election date? I already spoke about it this morning. The fact is I don’t even know the date myself,” he said at an event organised by the Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy (RFED) at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital.

The CEC said the election date will be informed two months ahead of the election.

“Please be patient a bit…wait and see…you’ll know the date at the appropriate time,” he added.

Regaining Lost Image

Turning to the role of election officials, Nasir Uddin urged those who will be engaged in election duties to take the upcoming general election as an opportunity to restore public confidence and regain the image that has been seriously affected in the past three elections.

“The image of our administration, police and law enforcement agencies has been seriously affected during the last three elections. This is a chance to recover it,” he said.

Noting that they (admin) had been capable of presenting the nation fair elections in 1991, 1996 and 2001, he questioned as to why a fair election can’t be held now. “We must be capable of doing so,” he said.

“Now this is your time to earn public respect and regain your image. We want to prove that we, the government employees and law enforcement agencies, can (to hold a good election), if we are truly sincere,” he said pointing at the administration, law enforcement agencies, presiding officers and polling officers.

The CEC said since he was a government official, he personally feels hurt when people blame government officials as a whole for electoral fraud.

“I’ve served in public administration myself. When the people criticise us, saying votes were cast at night and rigged, it causes me pain that we all have to shoulder the blame. Why do we all have to bear this blame?” he said.

Citing that people have fought for 15 years to establish the right to vote, the CEC said they are just on a highway and already crossed halfway to establish the right.

“The day voters can vote for their preferred candidate, leave the polling station, and return home, without any hindrance, we’ll be able to say that the right to vote has been established,” he added.

Election commissioners Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Tahmida Ahmad, Md Anwarul Islam Sarker and Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah were present at the function presided over by RFED president Kazi Emad Uddin (Jabel).