Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Saturday reaffirmed that presiding officers at each polling station will serve as the chief election authority for their respective centres, fully empowered to take lawful action to ensure a fair and transparent voting process.
“The presiding officer holds full legal authority. If necessary, they can suspend polling or take any appropriate measures. But they must act with courage, integrity, and impartiality,” he said while addressing a training workshop for polling officials at the RPADC auditorium in Chittagong.
Nasir Uddin emphasized that the upcoming election must uphold the rule of law, and that empowering frontline officials is key to achieving that goal.
“We want our presiding, polling, and returning officers to be equipped to deliver a world-class election,” he said.
Acknowledging the complexity of the task ahead, the CEC stressed the importance of learning from past experiences.
“We don’t know everything. We’re learning from those who’ve conducted elections before. Time is short, and challenges are many—but we will fix what needs fixing,” he said.
He assured election officials of full institutional support, provided they operate within the bounds of the law.
“Only trained, impartial, and accountable officers can ensure a transparent, participatory, and inclusive election,” he added.
Nasir Uddin also called for tailored training programs based on participants’ experience levels, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Addressing security concerns, he identified coordination between civil administration and law enforcement as the most critical challenge.
To strengthen this, the Election Commission is establishing a Central Coordination Cell and an Emergency Response Unit to enable rapid nationwide communication and action.
He further noted that successful elections depend on seamless coordination among presiding officers, returning officers, administrative officials, and security agencies.
To counter misinformation and AI-driven propaganda, the CEC announced the formation of a dedicated unit tasked with monitoring and responding to online disinformation.
The workshop was chaired by Senior District Election Officer Mohammad Bashir Ahmed.
Special guests included Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar, Additional Secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat KM Ali Newaz, Chittagong Divisional Commissioner Dr Mohammad Ziauddin, DIG of Chittagong Range Police Mohammad Ahsan Habib Palash, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative Anwarul Haque, and CBTEP Project Director Mohammad Mostafa Hasan.
