Chief election commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin announced that the schedules for both the Jatiya Sangsad elections and the referendum were likely to be declared in the second week of December.

He disclosed the information on Saturday after inspecting a mock voting exercise at Sher-e-Bangla Girls High School in Dhaka, where election commissioners, EC officials and EU ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller were present.

Earlier, on October 31, election commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar, told reporters at the Patuakhali circuit house that the schedule for the upcoming JS elections would be announced in the first week of December.

The CEC said that the mock voting was conducted transparently and in an open environment, reflecting the type of election the commission aimed to deliver.

‘We want to offer the nation an election as transparent as today’s mock vote,’ he said, expressing confidence that law and order would gradually improve and be favourable for the polling.

Asked about the schedule announcement, the CEC said, ‘Hopefully, the schedule will be declared in the second week of December.’

He said that changes in the administration might be made if required after the schedule was published.

Explaining the rationale behind the mock voting, the CEC that said the EC wanted to observe an ideal polling environment — from voter queues and the role of polling officials to the conduct of presiding officers and journalists.

The exercise simulated the entire process: voters queuing, presenting voter slips, receiving ballots, entering the secret booth, and casting their votes.

He said that many first-time voters had never witnessed an election in reality, especially those who had become voters in the last 15 years.

The mock exercise, the CEC said, offered them practical experience and allowed the commission to conduct a real-time assessment of the polling centre management.

With both the JS elections and a referendum planned to take place simultaneously, the CEC said that the commission must examine whether more than the existing 42,500 polling centres would be needed, and whether additional booths or staff must be deployed.

Addressing questions about restrictions on journalists inside polling booths, the CEC said that the intention was not to hinder media activities but to prevent overcrowding.

‘In a single room, there are agents, polling officers, presiding officers and voters. If journalists and observers also gather inside, it could disrupt operations. We ask for responsible timing, not restrictions,’ he explained.

On concerns that many elderly voters are unaware of the referendum, the CEC said that mass publicity had not begun yet.

The government, information ministry, cultural ministry, Election Commission and media would soon launch extensive campaigns, he said.

The CEC said that the referendum, authorised under a recent ordinance, would contain four bundled questions with only two response options — ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Responding to questions about the law and order, the CEC acknowledged that isolated crimes occurred everywhere but said that the overall situation was improving.

The commission continued coordinating with the law enforcement agencies and the training personnel to ensure a peaceful polling environment, he said.

The mock voting saw long queues, delays in locating voter numbers and slower-than-expected vote casting by some participants.

The CEC admitted that the exercise revealed gaps, observing that this was precisely why real-time assessments were necessary.  ‘If we need to increase the number of polling centres or booths, we will. Our aim is not to cause inconvenience to voters,’ he said.

He reiterated that the commission was adequately prepared for and committed to delivering smooth and credible elections and referendum.