Dhaka, Aug 08 (V7N) – The schedule for the upcoming national parliament elections will be announced in the first half of December, Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah confirmed on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference at the Election Commission (EC) office in Agargaon, the commissioner said the EC will begin expatriate voter education programs next month. EC Secretary added that the code of conduct for political parties and candidates has already been finalized.

Sanaullah noted that a key challenge for expatriate voters is the suspension of postal ballots if a candidate’s candidacy is revoked in a constituency. He estimated the postal ballot cost for expatriates to be around Tk 6–7 crore per 100,000 voters. As per the Voters’ List Act, only those registered by October 31 will be eligible to vote in the next national polls.

For efficiency, expatriates will receive only the symbol ballots — without candidate names — via the Bangladesh Post Office, with three weeks allocated for voting. Postal ballots will also be available for people in legal custody, government employees, and individuals directly involved in election duties within the country.

Additionally, the EC announced a ban on the use of drones or quadcopters by candidates or the media on election day.

END/RH/AJ