Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Friday said they want 100% neutral behaviour from the election officials in the upcoming national election, which is going to be the most risky one.
"This Commission's bottom line is professionalism and neutrality. You must send out this message," he said, pointing at the participants of an election training programme in the city.
The CEC said this while inaugurating the two-day training for core trainers at the Electoral Training Institute (ETI) in Agargaon on the occasion of the 13th parliamentary election.
Some 80 core trainers are participating in the two-day training programme, who will later provide training to TOTs (Trainers of Trainers) ahead of the upcoming national election to be held before next Ramadan in February 2026.
Pointing at the election officials, the CEC said, "We want 100% neutral behaviour."
The CEC asked them to be ready to face new challenges like checking abuse of social media, misinformation and disinformation alongside the law and order challenge in the upcoming election.
Noting that the education of this training is morality, he asked the participants to uphold morality always.
Election Commission Abdur Rahmanel Masud stressed the need for performing the election duty by the officials following the constitution and the electoral laws.
He said there is no scope to discharge election duty beyond the laws and the constitution.
"Whether I can carry out the responsibility entrusted to me properly in line with the laws, which could be the only thing that should be the matter of our consideration," he said.
"There is no alternative to holding a fair election this time," he added.
Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker warned the election officials that the next general election would be the most risky compared to any election in the past. So, there is no alternative way or second option to overcome this challenge of holding a fair election, he said.
"Presiding officers will be the nucleus of the election," he added, saying that some 50,000 presiding officers will be required for the election, who should be inspired to play key roles in holding a fair election.
"We must be firmly committed that we have to hold a good election," he said.
Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abdul Fazal Md Sanaullah said the Election Commission, for the first time, is going to ensure the voting rights of expatriate Bangladeshis in the upcoming national election.
"We hope this time there will be a significant turnout of expatriate voters…A huge enthusiasm is being seen among them to exercise their voting rights," he said.
Election Commissioner Tahmida Ahmad said the 80 participants are the masters of 5,000-6,000 TOTs who will later train some 10,00,000 polling officers for the next election.
EC senior secretary Akhtar Ahmed presided over the inaugural event, while ETI Director General SM Asaduzzaman delivered the welcome speech.
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