The Election Commission (EC) led by Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal is scheduled to hold a meeting with President Mohammed Shahabuddin today (Thursday).
The EC is going to hold the meeting with the President ahead of the announcement of the schedule for the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) election, which is expected to be held in the first week of January, 2024, said EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam while talking to reporters at his commission office in the capital’s Agargaon Dhaka on Wednesday.
Following the tradition, the commission pays a courtesy call on the president before announcing the schedule for the JS polls, Alam said.
He said, during the meeting, the CEC will inform the overall progress and preparation of the commission related to the announcement of the polls schedule and other issues.
He, further said, "The election schedule may be announced any day in the first half of November and the upcoming JS polls is likely to be held either in the last week of December or the first week of January."
The country’s prevailing atmosphere is still conducive to announce the schedule for the 12th parliamentary election, he said.
The EC Secretary said the EC is committed to holding the next general election within the stipulated time and the congenial atmosphere for the election schedule still exists.
He also said the 12th parliamentary election is approaching fast and it will be held within the stipulated time in line with the constitution.
According to the Constitution, JS elections are mandated to be held within 90 days prior to the conclusion of the five-year parliamentary term. With the current parliament's term ending on 29 January, the 90-day countdown began on 1 November.
The EC officials earlier said the commission is ready to holding the JS polls on due time.
Meanwhile, chiefs of all the law-enforcement and intelligence agencies earlier on November 1 informed the EC that there is no major hurdle to hold the next JS polls.
