Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin has urged political parties to refrain from attempting election engineering and ballot stuffing to win polls.

"Winning elections through engineering or vote rigging does not end well for the party in the long run. This is not only true for Bangladesh, but this is what we learn from world history."

He made the remarks while speaking at a discussion meeting marking National Voters' Day at the Election Commission headquarters in the capital's Agargaon yesterday.

For a long time, the country's citizens have been denied the right to vote freely, the CEC said, adding that the time has now come to restore that right.

"I want to say that the National Consensus Commission can take written promises from political parties that they will follow the electoral code of conduct and take internal action if any party candidate causes trouble during polls."

The CEC believes such written statements will exert pressure on political parties to adhere to the electoral code of conduct, making the EC's job easier.

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"People are dreaming of a new Bangladesh. If this dream is not realised, the sacrifices of the injured and martyred of the July uprising will have been in vain. Voting is no longer just a right; it is also a responsibility."

He said differences in opinion on various issues among the political parties are not a problem; rather, it is the beauty of democracy, and he believes the parties will unite on the matters that are fundamental to upholding democratic practices.

FREE, FAIR POLLS MAIN GOAL

The CEC said that their prime objective is to hold a free, fair, and credible election.

He urged EC officials to make a promise that in the holy month of Ramadan, they would work impartially to make the next election free and fair.

Election Commissioner Tahmida Ahmed suggested holding elections in open fields instead of inside closed rooms to ensure transparency.

"I want our elections to be transparent. How can they be transparent if they are held in closed rooms? Therefore, I propose that our elections be conducted in open fields."

Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said people have the right to choose their representatives, and this right can only be upheld if they are able to vote freely.

Election commissioners Anwarul Islam Sarkar and Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah also spoke at the programme.

TOTAL VOTERS: 12.37 CR

While inaugurating the day's proceedings in the morning, CEC Nasir said that the total number of voters in the country now stands at 12,37,32,274.

Of them, 6,33,61,615 are male, 6,03,69,665 are female, and 994 are "hijra" voters.

The number reflects a 1.54 percent growth compared to the previous year's voter count of 12,18,50,160.

As per tradition, the final updated voter list is published on March 2 every year, coinciding with the observance of National Voters' Day.