Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Thursday announced that the 13th national parliamentary election and the referendum on the July Charter will be held simultaneously on 12 February next year.

According to the schedule, nomination papers may be submitted from 12 to 29 December, while scrutiny will take place from 30 December to 4 January. The deadline for withdrawal of candidature is 20 January. Polls will be held three weeks later.

Election symbols will be allocated on 21 January. Candidates will have 18 days to submit nominations and 20 days for campaigning. Campaigning will be suspended 48 hours before voting, meaning it will remain open until 7:30 am on 10 February.

In an address to the nation on Thursday evening, CEC Nasir Uddin said, “Voting is not only a civic right, it is a sacred trust. People must exercise their franchise rising above fear and inducement.”

He added that the participation of persons with disabilities, the elderly and pregnant women will help turn the voting day into a festival-like occasion.

Voting Procedure

– Ballots will be cast using paper ballots in transparent ballot boxes across 300 constituencies.

– Polling will run uninterrupted from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm on 12 February.

– Each voter will cast two ballots—one for Parliament and one for the referendum.

– The parliamentary ballot will be black-and-white, while the referendum ballot will be coloured.

– The referendum will ask voters to respond ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the proposed reforms of the July National Charter.

– The two ballots must be deposited in separate boxes.

– Polling time has been extended by one hour as the election and referendum will be held on the same day.

The Awami League formed government for the fourth consecutive term following the 12th parliamentary election on 7 January 2024. Amid the quota reform movement, student protests escalated into a mass uprising in July, leading to the fall of the government on 5 August and the departure of Sheikh Hasina from the country.

An interim government took office on 8 August, and a new Election Commission assumed responsibility in November. The interim administration prioritised implementation of the July Charter, justice, and elections.

After consultations with political parties, the first half of February was chosen for the national polls. It was also announced that the referendum on the implementation of the July Charter would be held on the same day.

Following mock voting on 29 November, the Election Commission decided to increase booth numbers and extend polling hours.