1/9/24, 1:08 PM Bangladesh 2024 elections at a glance | The Business Standard

TUESDAY, JANUARY 09, 2024

Here’s some information you need to know about the 12th Jatiya Sangsad
polls

TBS Report
07 January, 2024, 11:30 am
Last modified: 08 January, 2024, 04:12 pm

Representational Image of election. Photo: Unsplash

Biggest budget national election

The 12th general election is being held with an estimated budget of around
Tk2,276.22 crores, the largest election budget in the nation's history.

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Out of this expenditure, around Tk1,225.62 crore will be spent on law and order
while the remaining Tk1,050.60 crore will be spent on election management
activities.

Not ending here, the budget may rise more, according to a high official of EC.

Candidate and constituencies

As per the election commissioner, on 7 January, voting will take place from 8am to
4pm, without any break, using transparent ballot boxes and ballot papers in 299
constituencies.

Voters of the 299 constituencies will be able to vote at around 2.60 lakh polling
booths in 42,024 polling stations across the country.

Though there are 300 constituencies.

A total of 1,969 candidates are vying in the national polls.

Of them, 1,533 are from 28 political parties, while 436 are independents.

The EC postponed the election for Naogaon-2 constituency following the death of
an independent candidate.

A fresh schedule for the Naogaon-2 polls will be announced soon.

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According to a directive issued by the Election Commission (EC) on 3 December, if

any valid candidate vying for the upcoming 12th parliamentary election dies, the
election proceedings of the respective constituency must be cancelled as per the
provisions of Article 91A and Article 91E of the Representation of the People Order,
1972.

However, a public notification will have to be made in accordance with Clause (1)
of Article 17, said the directive.

Ballot on polling day

This time, the EC has decided to send ballot papers to the polling centres across the
country, except for those in remote and hard-to-reach areas, on the morning of the
election day in efforts to increase transparency.

According to the EC, ballot papers will be sent to some 92.93% or 39,054 polling
centers on the polling day while the remaining 2,971 centers will get ballots earlier
as those are situated in remote areas or with bad communication.

Campaigns marred by code violations

Since the beginning of electioneering, many rules of the electoral code of conduct
have been violated by candidates (mostly ruling party candidates) in many
constituencies, in various ways, such as assaulting and threatening rival aspirants
and tearing down their posters.

The commission, however, failed to stop the code violation spree despite filing
complaints, issuing summons and warnings, and imposing fines on the accused
candidates.

For breaching codes, only one candidate got his candidature cancelled by the
commission. However, later he regained candidacy in a High Court writ.

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The election inquiry committees have so far issued 746 notices summoning
candidates – both party-nominated ones and independents – and also their
supporters for breaching poll codes during campaigns with 157 showcases on the
last day of campaign.

In response to the notices, 499 candidates and their supporters have given written
explanations to the inquiry committees either directly or through their
representatives till 5 December.

Around 51 cases have been filed against over 60 violators, including candidates
and supporters.

Besides, executive magistrates penalised 1,051 people and fined a total Tk3,315,300.

Law enforcers on the field to ensure safe polling

The police, RAB, Ansar, BGB and Coast Guard have about 750,000 members of the
law enforcement agency deployed in the 12th National elections.

Apart from this, members of the armed forces have been on the field since
Wednesday to ensure a safe election environment.

Some 38,154 army members have been deployed across the country.

Before that, members of the police, Rapid Action Battalion, Border Guard
Bangladesh and Coast Guard were deployed on 29 December.

They are working on the election field as mobile and striking forces.

In addition, police and Ansar members are being deployed from Friday to ensure
security inside the polling centres.

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Members of the armed forces will be on duty in 62 districts, while the BGB has been
tasked with ensuring security in 45 upazilas in bordering areas.

Also, the army will coordinate with the BGB in 47 bordering upazilas and with the
Coast Guard in four coastal upazilas.

Besides, the Navy will provide necessary support to the civil administration to
ensure the election environment in remote coastal regions.

The Air Force will provide necessary helicopter services to polling stations in
remote hilly areas.

Adequate numbers of choppers of the Air Force have been kept ready to provide
support in case of emergency during the election.

Also, a joint coordination cell has been set up in the Armed Forces Division
comprising representatives of various ministries and law enforcement agencies.

Besides this, 300 electoral inquiry committees, 693 judicial magistrates and 1,965
executive magistrates are working on the field to keep the law and order.

Ban on vehicular movement from 12am tonight

Five types of vehicles will be barred from playing on the occasion of the national
polls. Taxi cabs, pickups, microbuses and trucks will not be allowed on roads on
election day, while motorcycle movement will remain closed for three days till 8
January midnight.

However, the restrictions will remain relaxed on private cars and public transport
to facilitate the movement of voters.

Total voters 11.96 crores

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As per the final voter list published by the EC for the 12th national parliamentary
polls, the total number of voters in the country is 11,96,89,289.

The commission published the list at its Nirbachan Bhaban office in the capital's
Agargaon on Thursday.

Of the voters, 6,07,69,741 are male and 5,89,18,699 are female. Besides, there are
849 transgender voters.

Local observer

The EC today approved 20,773 local observers from 84 organisations to monitor the
next general elections slated for 7 January 2024.

Of the total number, 517 local observers from 40 organisations have taken approval
centrally while the rest have taken approval from returning officers across the
country.

Foreign observer

Some 126 observers from 34 countries and 4 organisations, as well 76 foreign

journalists, are observing and covering today's poll.

Around 9 lakh polling officers will be on duty

Returning officer 66, assistant returning officer 592, presiding officer 42,148,
assistant presiding officer 2,31,564 and polling officer 523128 will be on duty for
smooth election management.

F E AT U R E S

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UNB
09 January, 2024, 10:30 am
Last modified: 09 January, 2024, 10:34 am

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