Khulna: Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Muhammad Sanaullah has stated that the primary goal of the current Election Commission (EC) is to create a flawless, updated voter list to ensure the upcoming election is free, fair, and credible. He highlighted the importance of voting rights as a fundamental citizen right in his remarks.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, during the opening session of a daylong workshop titled “Challenge in the Voters Registration Process and Way Forward,” held at the CSS Ava Centre in Khulna city, Commissioner Sanaullah expressed that a long democratic movement, alongside the sacrifices of students and citizens, has fostered a renewed hope for reclaiming voting rights. He emphasized the need for collective effort to meet these aspirations.
The workshop, organized by the EC as part of their “Procuring Manpower Services (55 personnel) for the operation of CB TEP project,” featured Divisional Commissioner Firoj Sarker as the chair and included speeches by EC Additional Secretary KM Ali Newaj, Deputy Commissioner of Khulna Muhammad Saiful Islam, Regional Election Officer Humayun Kabir, and Project Director Muhammad Mustofa Hassan.
Commissioner Sanaullah urged officials to update the voter list by collecting information directly from citizens rather than relying on centralized collection points. He stressed the importance of honesty and impartiality in this process, encouraging officials to ensure that all eligible individuals are registered.
He also noted the need to encourage eligible citizens to register as voters and paid special attention to ensuring women are included in voter lists to prevent them from missing out on civic services. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of informing citizens about the significance of voter registration.
The workshop was attended by regional and district election officers, educational professionals, programmers, system analysts, and other stakeholders.