Preparations are underway to begin the union parishad elections in November, the Election Commission (EC) said today.

"Within this month, there will be significant progress and we will be able to provide specific details. Work on the action plan is moving ahead at a rapid pace. We hope that we can start the local government elections with union parishad polls," Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar said while speaking to reporters at the EC headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka this afternoon.

As part of the preparations, the EC plans to install closed-circuit television cameras, drones and body-worn cameras at all polling centres to monitor the elections, he added.

He said the code of conduct has already been finalised, with several new provisions included, many of which were first introduced in the national elections. The gazette is expected to be published within a couple of days.

EC Anwarul said November and December were crucial months for students and a period of heavy workload for teachers, as annual examinations, scholarship tests and pre-tests are held during the period.

He said polling centres would be set up in educational institutions, with teachers serving as presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers.

The commission is working to avoid any overlap between the elections and examinations, he added, stressing that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure free, fair and controversy-free voting.

Regarding the Thakurgaon-1 by-election, EC Anwarul said the election had a 90-day legal timeframe and that an IT-supported postal ballot system would be available for both in-country and out-of-country voters.

"The commission will conduct polls within the legal time-bound. We hope to declare the schedule within a few days," he said.