Training workshop of field level official will be held next month. The work on preparation of voters' list will begin on January 1 next year.

According to sources at Khulna District Election Office, two Registration Officers and 106 Assistant Registration Officers have already been appointed for Khulna district to assist the work. Two Election Officers will act as ex-officio Registration Officers, while Upazila Election Officers have been made Assistant Registration Officers.

District Election Officer ATM Mahbuzur Rahman told The Daily Star that none of the opposition parties raised any verbal or written objection regarding preparation of the list of supervisors and enumerators.

A total of 3,767 enumerators and 950 supervisors have already been appointed for Khulna district, he said.

Khulna city Awami League president and former state minister Talukder Abdul Khaleque MP, when contacted on Tuesday, alleged that most of the supervisors are supporters of either BNP or Jamaat-e-Islami and are teachers of primary schools or madrasas.

The Awami League lawmaker said officials of Khulna District Election Office did not consult with local opposition leaders before finalising the lists. "So, we can not expect a correct voters' list and free and fair election", Talukder Khaleque said.

He said choosing ruling party men is part of a blue print to rig the next parliamentary election to cling to power.

The Election Commission is a constitutional body and it is supposed to work neutrally. We do not feel the necessity to interfere in its activities and if it does anything in a biased way, it would be unfortunate for the nation, he said.

He further said political leaders are not suppose to keep in mind when the Election Commission prepares the list of enumerators. Central vice president of Jatiya Party (Ershad) Alhaj Sheikh Abul Hossain said that a correct list of voters can not be expected from politically biased supervisors.

Another JP leader who is a former lawmaker said most of the listed supervisors and enumerators are school teachers appointed under political influence in the last three years. They can not perform neutrally, he said. This is part of the alliance government's plan to retain power, he said.

Both the AL and JP leaders said they are watching the situation. Protests will be lodged after reports of getting anomalies at grassroots level when preparation of voter list begins, they said.

Denying the allegation, the District Election Officer said none of the local leaders of opposition parties submitted any objection in writing regarding appointment of supervisors for making the fresh voter list.

"We do not know who is politically biased or not among the supervisors appointed. We are committed to make a correct list of voters", he said.