The Election Commission is taking some special measures in 14 Rohingya-dominated areas and 65 remote upazilas so that Rohingyas and other foreign nationals cannot be enrolled in the voter list.
As part of the measures, a special voter registration form will be used in 14 ‘special areas’ since the Election Commission is set to embark on a three-phase countrywide voter list updating exercise on May 15.
Besides, a 14-memebr upazila-level special committee, headed by Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) has been formed, in each of the 14 upazilas comprising local public representatives, officials of law enforcement agencies and the intelligence agencies.
The special committees will examine the identities of potential voters and cancel the applications of Rohingya and other foreign nationals, said Election Commissioner Mohamamad Abdul Mobarak.
The 14 ‘special areas’ are Chakaria, Teknaf, Ramu, Pekua, Ukhia, Kutubdia, Maheshkhali and sadar upazilas of Cox’s Bazar, Alikadam, Lama, Naikhangchhari and Sadar upazilas of Bandarban and Bilaichhari and Kaptai upazilas of Rangamati.
Earlier in 2012, 13 areas were treated as special areas. This year Katubdia is also being treated as a ‘special area’.
Besides, special measures are being taken for updating the voter list in 65 remote and bordering upazilas to prevent the enrollment of foreign nationals in the voter list, Mobarak told UNB on Friday.
Eligible voters will have to fill up the special forms mentioning 15 information, including address of their origin, address of father and grandfather, and the identities of their close relatives and their assets.
But in case of normal form, an eligible voter does not need to mention the information related to their forefathers, origin, close relatives and assets.
The upazila-level special committee will verify information mentioned in the special forms and reject applications of the Rohingya and other foreign nationals. The members of law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies will help complete the process.
During the last countrywide electoral rolls updating in 2012, the special committees rejected applications of nearly 17,000 Rohingya people.
Earlier in 2009, the commission also detected 50,000 Rohingya voters in Cox’s Bazar and the Chittagong Hill Tracts areas who were enrolled in the voter list during its updating with photograph in 2008 and cancelled their voter registrations.
Meanwhile, an 18-member central coordination committee headed by EC acting secretary Sirajul Islam while 17-member divisional-level coordination committees headed by divisional commissioners in eight divisions, 23-member district-level coordination committee headed by Deputy Commissioner in each district and 23-member Upazila-level committee headed by UNO were formed.
The upazila-level committees will also examine information given by eligible voters in 65 remote upazilas so that no foreign national can be enrolled in the list.
Earlier, 64 upazilas were treated as remote areas. This year Rangabali upazila of Patuakhali district is being treated as a remote one.
The Election Commission, in three phases, will collect data of eligible voters at the field level in 514 upazilas and thana across the country between May 15 and November 15 this year.
The updated voter list will be given effect in 2015 on completion of necessary procedures like publication of draft rolls to receive public complaints.
The Bangladeshi citizens who have turned 18 on or before January 1, 2015 and the eligible Bangladeshis who missed the current roll will be included in the new voter list.
The electoral rolls will be updated in 181 upazilas or thanas in the first phase, 218 in the second phase and 115 in the third phase by December next.
In the first phase, enumerators will go for door-to-door data collection from May 15 to 24, while photographs and fingerprints will be taken in each voter registration centre from May 26 to 15 July.
In the second phase, the data of possible voters will be collected from June 15 to 24, while photographs and fingerprints will be taken in voter registration centres from July 18 to September 15.
In the third phase, the data of possible voters will be collected from September 1 to 10, while photographs and fingerprints will be taken in voter registration centres from September 18 to November 15.
The commission estimates some 4.6 million fresh voters, a five percent growth, will come out during the voter list updating since the commission did not update the electoral rolls in 2013.
Currently, there are 91,950,641 voters in the country.
The EC will set up some 54,000 voter registration centres in 4583 union parishads, 313 municipalities, 12 cantonment boards and 439 wards of 11 city corporations across the country.
A total of 150 voter registration teams will work in the field. Each team is comprised of a team leader, four data-entry operators, two proofreaders and a data-entry helper.
A budget of Tk 59 crore has been estimated as cost of the voter list updating.
Earlier in 2012, the commission updated the country’s voter list which was published in 2013, ahead of the 10th parliamentary elections.
Source: UNBConnect