Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Saturday said that ensuring security and managing administrative appointments will be the biggest challenges in conducting the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election.

Speaking at a workshop titled “Challenges of Vote Conducting and Ways to Overcome Them” at the Regional Public Administration Training Centre in Chattogram, the CEC said that the Election Commission must prove, through an inclusive and credible election, that the rule of law prevails in the country.

The presiding officers will be given full authority. If they fail to discharge their duties properly, they too will be held accountable as offenders,” he said.

Acknowledging legal, administrative, and technological challenges, Nasir Uddin stressed that the Election Commission is determined to hold a free and fair election with everyone’s cooperation.

A total of 70 election officials took part in the workshop.

Speakers at the event identified misinformation, online financial irregularities, misuse of artificial intelligence, and law and order issues as major obstacles to the election process.

Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam said, “We must overcome past failures and perform our duties without fear. Challenges will arise, but we must move forward by facing them. The election will be held before Ramadan in February. We also need to encourage the participation of expatriate voters.”

Election Commission Secretary K M Ali Newaz underscored the need to prioritise security and efficiency during vote casting, adding that the media also has a vital role to play in ensuring transparency.

Highlighting the election scenario in Chattogram, he said the district has 16 parliamentary constituencies with a total of 6,648,085 voters. There will be 1,959 polling centres, 12,540 booths, and around 44,000 polling officials.