Election Commissioner (EC) Brigadier General (retd.) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah has said that the future of any officer or person responsible for election duties will be bleak if they lose impartiality.

He made the remarks on Tuesday (January 27) morning during a meeting with the Law-and-Order Cell and the Vigilance and Observation Team at the Noakhali Deputy Commissioner’s conference room, ahead of the upcoming 13th national parliamentary elections and referendum.

EC Sanaullah said, “We want to deliver a fair, smooth, and acceptable election through everyone’s best efforts. No compromise will be allowed in this regard. All those responsible for the election must coordinate with one another and perform their duties properly.”

He further said that village police and Ansar-VDP members are well aware of who possesses illegal weapons, whether outsiders are present in the locality, and who is alive or deceased. “These sources must be utilised effectively,” he added.

The EC also stated that no form of disturbance would be tolerated within polling station premises on election day. “Voting should be a festive occasion. You must be able to distinguish between celebrations related to voting and deliberate disruptions aimed at obstructing the voting process, and take immediate action accordingly,” he said.

Regarding postal ballots, the EC said, “No one will be allowed to enter the postal ballot counting room with a pen. Any ballot that is not verified by the voter will not be accepted. Voting must be conducted through live verification; otherwise, the vote will not be counted. This system is the result of a long-standing demand and a long-cherished dream, and it must not be ruined in any way.”

The meeting was presided over by Noakhali Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Shafiqul Islam and attended by Police Superintendent TM Mosharraf Hossain, Regional Election Officer (Cumilla) Md Azizul Islam, Commander of the Noakhali Army Camp Lieutenant Colonel Chowdhury Mohammad Ali Haider, Naval District Coordinator Commander Masum Ul Haq, among others.