180 million people have been denied their voting rights, reveals Bangladesh CEC Nasir Uddin
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Jan 5, 2025, 4:41 PM ISTBangladesh's Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), AMM Nasir Uddin, stated on Sunday that nearly 180 million people have been deprived of their voting rights.
Bangladesh's Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), AMM Nasir Uddin, stated on Sunday that nearly 180 million people have been deprived of their voting rights. The Election Commission aims to address this longstanding issue, according to a report by The Dhaka Tribune.
Speaking at the inauguration of a training program for election officers ahead of a voter list updating initiative, the CEC emphasized the Commission's commitment to ending this deprivation and restoring the voting rights of the affected population.
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“We want to remove the pain of their deprivation. We are steadfast in our commitment,” he said.
Nationwide door-to-door data collection to update the voter list is set to begin on January 20.
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) stated that the Election Commission is committed to addressing the grievances of nearly 180 million people who have long been deprived of their voting rights.
“We’ve taken the responsibility so that we can remove their deprivation,” he said.
The CEC emphasized that the primary goal of the Election Commission is to conduct a fair and credible election.
“It’s a marathon race beginning from today up to the delivery of the result,” he said.
“Our goal, commitment and promises to the nation is to present a free, fair and credible election as the nation has been deprived of it for so long,” the CEC said.
In addition, the Election Commission has decided to investigate irregularities and issues in previous elections, including the controversial national elections of 2014, 2018, and 2024, which took place under the Awami League's rule. These elections are widely regarded as some of the most contentious in the country's history.
The newly formed Election Commission, which took office on November 21, has already implemented several reform initiatives in preparation for the upcoming 13th National Election.
Recently, CEC Nasir Uddin indicated that the Awami League, led by the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, might participate in the election, unless the government or judiciary imposes a ban on the party.
Meanwhile, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, 84, who assumed leadership of the interim government after Hasina's ouster in August, suggested in his Victory Day speech on December 16 that elections could be held as early as 2026.
“Broadly speaking, the election can be scheduled between the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026,” he said. Yunus stated that elections will be held once the voters' list has been updated.
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