The schedule for the upcoming 12th national election will be announced in November and the election will likely be held in the last week of December or the first week of January.

"We usually announce the schedule with 40 to 45 days in hand. In this case, the schedule will be announced on any day of November," Election Commissioner Md Anisur Rahman told reporters at his office in the Election Commission building on Wednesday (9 August).

He also said that no commission meeting has been held yet regarding the schedule.

The commissioner said that the ballot paper will be sent to centres in the morning of the polling day in places where communication is good except remote and island areas.

Besides, he said, there will be an opportunity to submit nomination papers both online and offline in the next elections.

"We are developing an app to simplify the selection process. I want to introduce it before this national elections. Hopefully, it will be launched in November," he said.

When asked whether the political parties will be called for dialogue, EC Anisur said, "We will not be initiating another call for dialogue. We asked them [for dialogue] and they did not respond. Let political matters be handled by politicians."

Currently, the Awami League government stands by their decision to hold the next election under the Election Commission.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and other opposition parties have been demanding a neutral caretaker government during the election period. BNP along with many other political parties have been organising protest programmes across the country in demand of dissolving the current government and forming a non-partisan caretaker government to hold the 12th national election.