Badiul Alam Majumdar, head of the Electoral System Reform Commission, announced that the commission will sit with Bangladesh's political parties to discuss electoral system reforms.

He made these remarks during a press conference held on Wednesday at the Election Bhaban in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

Badiul Alam revealed plans to introduce amendments to existing electoral laws and provisions to ensure free and fair elections. 

To achieve this, he said the commission would recommend changes to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), which currently allows the Election Commission (EC) to cancel or postpone voting in specific polling centers due to irregularities, but not across an entire constituency.

"We will first conduct a thorough review of all aspects of the electoral laws, provisions, and the RPO," he explained. "Based on feedback from stakeholders, we will then submit our recommendations for amendments, in accordance with the constitution, to the relevant authorities."

He also announced that an 8-member election reform commission will be formed to spearhead these efforts.

Badiul Alam outlined the commission's comprehensive approach, which includes scrutinizing every aspect of election laws to identify areas for potential reform. "Our primary task is to assess whether current legal frameworks, particularly the RPO, remain relevant and effective in today's electoral context. We will meticulously examine every detail to determine if amendments are necessary."

Besides, the commission will review various election-related forms to assess whether they need updates or modifications.

BDST: 1825 HRS, OCT 09, 2024
MSK/SMS