The Election Commission’s proposal for a nearly Tk 493 crore infrastructure project was turned down by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on May 13, with the government directing the commission to use space in upazila complexes instead of constructing new offices.
The project, titled “Construction of Upazila/Thana, District and Regional Election Offices and Server Stations for Electoral Database”, aimed to establish election offices, protect electoral databases, modernise voter registration services and preserve election materials.
The proposed project, estimated at Tk 492.83 crore, was scheduled to run from January 2026 to December 2028. It included plans for one regional election office, three district offices and 46 upazila-level offices and server stations. Floor space was also to be purchased for 16 metropolitan police station-level offices.
EC officials said the facilities would support voter registration and ensure secure storage of ballot papers, ballot boxes, registration forms and other election materials.
The project aimed to complete 66 offices and server stations across eight divisions, 32 districts, 61 upazilas, and metropolitan police station areas. It included land acquisition, construction, electrical work, procurement of furniture and computer equipment, and purchase of office space.
The proposal was revised after a Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting on October 29 last year.
Asked about the proposal placed before Ecnec, EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told The Daily Star, “It was for server stations plus election offices. The government side said it was not necessary.”
He said the EC still does not have its own premises in 66 offices and that the project aimed to construct those facilities.
“It was not for NID preservation or anything separate for NID. The project was for server stations cum accommodation,” he said.
“To make offices for those 66 units, we took a project proposal to Ecnec. But instead of constructing independent offices with separate buildings, we have been told to take floors in the upazila complexes that are being built,” said the secretary.
“This will make land utilisation better. Personally, I think it is very logical,” he said.
He added that otherwise the government would have to acquire private land and build separate structures, while using khas land would allow the work to be done in a more coordinated way.
According to him, security arrangements will also improve if election offices were located inside upazila complexes.
“This will now be time-consuming, but it is not a problem. The scrapped project would have taken three years anyway,” he said.
Akhtar noted that Dhaka does not have either a regional election office or a district election office.
“If the project had been approved, it would have been good. Since it was not, now we will have to find locations,” he said.
Akhtar said, “There are three types of EC offices -- regional, district and upazila. But they are not everywhere. In most places, they do not exist. Now we will have to review which ones exist and which do not.”
The EC operates offices in 495 upazilas across the country. However, in 46 upazilas, it still operates from rented premises.
Asked why the project was rejected, EC Additional Secretary K M Ali Newaz told The Daily Star yesterday, “The government said projects that create employment must now be given priority. So, we could not secure consideration for this one.”
New complex buildings are planned in many upazilas, and the EC has been asked to allocate space there, he said, adding, “We are considering setting up server stations in those offices.”
Ali Newaz also said EC does not have its own buildings in the two Dhaka city corporations.
“There are ‘thana election offices’. We are running them on rent,” he said.
