Dhaka, Dec 03 (V7N) — Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Mohammad Sanaullah has said that the country’s electoral system suffered severe damage during the previous government’s tenure, and the Election Commission is now working to restore its integrity.

He made these remarks on Wednesday morning while inaugurating a day-long journalist training workshop at Agargaon ahead of the 13th National Parliament Election.

Sanaullah emphasized that the Commission alone cannot implement electoral reforms. “Journalists must consciously fulfill their responsibilities for the sake of good elections. The upcoming polls will shape our future democracy and the kind of country we want to build,” he said.

The Election Commissioner added that steps are being taken to prevent misuse of journalist identity cards, including the introduction of a QR code scanning system. He also stated that the number of polling stations cannot be increased further and that, on average, a voter will require 3 minutes and 52 seconds to cast a vote.

At the same event, EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said that the tasks of organizing both the national election and the upcoming referendum are interlinked. Addressing concerns about the referendum, he noted that while political party manifestos may contain multiple points not supported by all, decisions must be viewed in their entirety. “The referendum is similar. You vote after evaluating the whole package,” he said.

END/SMA/AJ