Dhaka: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin announced that the Election Commission (EC) is fully prepared to conduct the upcoming Presidential election. He addressed the media following a meeting with Acting Speaker Kayser Kamal at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, stating that while preliminary discussions had occurred, the election date was yet to be finalized. The public would be informed at the appropriate time, he assured.

According to United News of Bangladesh, all discussions during the meeting were centered around the presidential election. Nasir Uddin mentioned that if only one candidate runs, the individual would be elected unopposed. The Election Commission plans to announce the election schedule and pertinent details through an official gazette.

When asked about the status of expelled Jamaat-e-Islami MP from Satkhira-4, Gazi Nazrul Islam, the CEC confirmed that it was not discussed during the meeting with Acting Speaker Kamal. However, he noted that if the issue is referred to the EC, it would be examined accordingly.

Election commissioners Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Tahmida Ahmad, and Md Anwarul Islam Sarker, along with EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, were also present at the meeting. The Presidential Election Act, 1991, mandates that the Election Commission consults the Speaker before setting the election schedule. If Parliament is in session, the Commission must issue the election notification at least seven days before the polling date. Otherwise, a meeting of Members of Parliament must be convened seven days before the election.

The Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat will provide a list of MPs to the EC, which will then prepare and publish the electoral roll before announcing the schedule. Article 123(2) of the Constitution requires that an election to fill the vacant office of the President must be held within 90 days of the post becoming vacant due to resignation.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin will serve as the Returning Officer, with Members of Parliament directly voting to elect the President. As per the Presidential Election Act, a nomination paper must be proposed by one MP and seconded by another. The candidate with the highest votes will be declared elected by the CEC. In case of a tie, the result will be determined by a lottery, and the CEC’s declaration will be final.

Previously, on July 24, Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned as President, and Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad assumed the role of acting president.