The EC had to re-fix the election schedule yesterday after Election Commissioner AK Mohammad Ali in an interview with a private TV channel yesterday morning disclosed the earlier timetable where the polling date was set to be on September 4.

The main opposition Awami League (AL) has already declared to boycott the polls. If they do not take part in the September 6 polls, the commission will have to declare in next 21 working days a fresh date for elections to the nine seats that had been distributed in favour of AL. In that case, those seats will be distributed among the other parties on the basis of their strength in parliament.

In response to the disclosure of schedule, the chief election commissioner (CEC) convened an emergency meeting at 3:00pm yesterday for refixing the date for voting.

The CEC however could not confirm exactly when he summoned the meeting.

Election Commissioner M Munsef Ali was present at the meeting when Election Commissioner Mohammad Ali had already left office.

The date for filing nomination papers is August 27, scrutiny August 28, withdrawal of candidature September 1, said the election schedule declared from the EC meeting.

CEC MA Aziz described Mohammad Ali's disclosing the poll schedule as surprising. "It was decided that the election commission will declare the schedule after holding a meeting," the CEC told reporters after declaring the election schedule yesterday afternoon. "He [Mohammad Ali] did not consult us before making the polls date public," he added.

The EC had no plans to declare the election schedule yesterday. According to the original plan, it was to be declared today.

The EC in a gazette notification yesterday appointed Mohammad Zakaria, joint secretary of the EC secretariat, as returning officer, and Mihir Sarwar Morshed, deputy secretary of the secretariat, as assistant returning officer for the polls. Four other EC officials were appointed polling officers. The EC secretariat will be the polling centre.

The EC in accordance with the law for elections to the reserved seats for women had distributed 45 seats among the political parties on the basis of their representation in parliament.

The ruling BNP was allocated 30 seats, AL nine, Jatiya Party (Ershad) three, Jamaat-e-Islami two, and the other two components of the ruling alliance--Bangladesh Jatiya Party and Islami Oikya Jotetogether were allocated one seat.

AL had decided to boycott the polls to reserved seats, saying that they want direct elections. "We have been protesting the procedure for elections to reserved seats since its reintroduction in parliament. And as we don't subscribe to it, we will not participate in the polls," AL acting general secretary Obaidul Quader told The Daily Star yesterday.

Those who would be elected for the reserved seats are expected to join the next session of parliament.

The current parliament is set to have the women lawmakers for the reserved seats elected when only a year of its tenure is left.