Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal will announce the schedule for the 12th national election during his address to the nation at 7:00 pm today.
Prior to the announcement of the schedule, the CEC will convene the 26th EC meeting with all other election commissioners to finalise the schedule at his office in Dhaka around 5:00 pm.
"Following the decisions made during the meeting, the CEC will deliver a national address at 7:00 pm via Bangladesh Television (BTV) and Bangladesh Betar, officially unveiling the schedule for the 12th parliamentary election," Md Jahangir Alam, Secretary of the Election Commission said in a briefing to the journalists at the EC headquarters in Dhaka this morning.
He also requested all private television channels to broadcast his address live, coordinating with the BTV authorities.
This is the first instance where the CEC is expecetd to announce the election schedule through a live broadcast on BTV and Bangladesh Betar, according to the officials.
In all previous elections, the CEC's speech was pre-recorded and then broadcast in the evening on BTV and Bangladesh Betar.
Meanwhile, security around the EC headquarters in Agargaon in Dhaka has been beefed up ahead of the announcement. Only individuals with valid identity cards, such as EC staff and accredited journalists, are permitted to enter the Election Commission office.
A significant number of law enforcement personnel have been deployed surrounding the EC building, effectively blocking the majority of roads in the neighbourhood.
The EC is going to announce the polls schedule amidst a backdrop of intensified protests and blockades by anti-government parties, led by BNP and Jamaat, demanding the government's resignation.
The ruling Awami League and its allies, however, said that the government's resignation is not an option in accordance with the constitution.
Meanwhile, the US has called on all political parties to engage in unconditional dialogue.
It has also reiterated that it wants free, fair, and peaceful elections in Bangladesh.
