Photo: Collected
The ballot papers will be sent to the polling stations- except remote and hard-to-reach areas- throughout the country in the morning of the polling day of the upcoming parliamentary election slated for January 7.
The Election Commission on Monday issued a notification giving such directives to the returning officers.
In the notification, the EC has decided to reach ballot papers to most of the polling stations before the polling begins in the morning of the election day.
However, the commission said the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and Assistant Returning Officer will fix the time in consultation with the local police authority over sending ballot papers to those polling stations which are located in hilly areas, Haor, Bawar, Char or island areas or similar hard-to-reach areas and the remote areas which (considering the communication and time required to travel to the polling station) are a far away from the district headquarters or upazila headquarters or metropolitan area, and where the ballot papers can't be reached in the morning of the polling day.
The commission said adequate security measures should be taken during the transportation and distribution of election materials including ballot papers, ballot boxes from the Election Commission Secretariat to the district headquarters and from the district headquarters to the upazila headquarters and from the upazila headquarters to the polling stations.
For this purpose, the EC asked to take necessary measures in consultation and coordination with the concerned law and order authorities including the Superintendent of Police.
Meanwhile, election commissioners have told the media that ballot papers will be sent to the polling stations located in remote areas the day before the polling. Where communication is good, the ballot papers will be sent in the morning of the polling day.
Messenger/Sun Yath
