The Election Commission is holding a meeting with 14 experts, including three former chief election commissioners, to discuss their experiences, advice and suggestions on organising fair and free polls, bdnews24.com reports.
The meeting started at 11 am on Wednesday at the EC headquarters in Dhaka's Agargaon. CECs Abdur Rouf, KM Nurul Huda, Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad and former election commissioners M Shakhawat Hossain, Rafiqul Islam, Kabita Khanam and Md Shahnewaz were in attendance.
Former EC secretaries Mohammad Sadiq, Mohammad Abdullah, Sirajul Islam, Helal Uddin Ahmed, MN Reza and former additional secretaries Jesmin Tuli and Mokhlesur Rahman also joined the discussion.
The commission, led by Kazi Habibul Awal, organised the meeting to exchange views with the former commissioners after voting in one-third of the polling stations in the Gaibandha bypoll was halted unprecedentedly amid reports of widespread irregularities.
CEC Awal, along with election commissioners Rashida Sultana, Anisur Rahman and Md Alamgir were present at the meeting, for which, half of the 28 invitees turned up.
Since its constitution, the current commission oversaw the Gaibandha-5 parliamentary by-election and several local government polls in the last seven months.
The EC came under scrutiny when a ruling party MP in Cumilla defied the election code of conduct and the commission failed to take action. There was also a delay in publishing the election result. Another election in Jhenaidah was also halted for breach of the electoral code of conduct.
Ahead of the 12th national election, the regulator must identify the flaws in its management of polls and take stringent measures against those involved in irregularities, the former EC chiefs said.
The commission also held talks with various political parties and other stakeholders after taking office. It also consulted ex-commissioners previously.
