The Election Commission (EC) is preparing for the 13th National Parliamentary Election next year, likely to be held on February 5 or 12, 2025. Accordingly, the election schedule (timetable) may be announced on December 4 or 7. The EC is also considering holding the parliamentary election and a national referendum on the same day.

A formal decision will be made at the EC meeting if the government gives its green signal. However, political parties are divided on the issue of holding the parliamentary election and the referendum simultaneously. The interim government has left the responsibility of deciding the referendum’s timing, content, and implementation to the political parties due to differences over the July Charter.

In a meeting of the Advisory Council on November 3, it was decided that political parties should discuss among themselves and provide a unified direction to the government within a week. This will make decision-making easier for the government.

EC Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Mashud previously stated that holding the referendum on the same day as the parliamentary election could save hundreds of millions of taka. He added that while some expansion of polling stations and booths might be needed, conducting both elections simultaneously is feasible and efficient.

EC Election Preparations:

• Polling centers finalized for the 13th parliamentary election.
• Political party registration nearly complete; dialogues with parties will take place this month.
• Voter list to be finalized on November 18. Total voters for the 13th parliament: over 127.6 million, including new voters, totaling 127,612,384.
• Across 64 districts and 300 parliamentary constituencies, there are 42,761 polling centers. Booths: 115,137 for men, 129,602 for women, totaling 244,649 booths.

The EC has decided to register the National Citizens Party (NCP), Bangladesh Amjonogon Party, and Bangladesh Socialist Party (Marxist). Final registration certificates will be issued by November 12 after resolving claims and objections.

With the RPO Amendment Ordinance, all electoral law reforms have been completed, including voter list law, election officer provisions, EC Secretariat law, polling center regulations, domestic and international observer regulations, and media regulations.

For the first time, Bangladeshi expatriates will vote through an IT-supported postal ballot system. More than 1 million personnel will be involved in the parliamentary election, which costs nearly 2,500 crore taka. Holding both the referendum and the parliamentary election together would complete both processes in a single arrangement, otherwise two separate arrangements would be needed. The EC, led by A. M. M. Nasir Uddin, plans to announce the schedule in December, with the parliamentary election likely in early February.