We want to collectively end the deprivation of 18 crore people, said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A, M, M, Nasir Uddin.
He said this while speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the voter list update program in Savar on Monday (January 20) morning.
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) said, "Our civil service people are protesting at the Public Administration Office, demanding their demands. They are deprived, they are victims of deprivation. Where will these 18 crore people who have been deprived go? Who will tell them about their deprivation? Who will see to their deprivation? The Election Commission! We want to collectively end their deprivation. They have been deprived of the right to vote for so long! We have had the opportunity for so long, God willing, we will take this opportunity."
Addressing the journalists present at the time, the CEC also said, "I seek the cooperation of all of you." We cannot reach our goal without your cooperation. Without your cooperation, the fight will be difficult to fulfill the promise we made to the nation.
The voter list update program was inaugurated at a function in Savar Upazila Parishad under the slogan 'We will become voters with correct information, we will vote in the elections'. Through this, the voter list update program has started across the country from today.
At this time, the Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners presented various information and gave guidelines for conducting the update program with correct and accurate information. Later, at 12 noon, the Chief Election Commissioner announced the inauguration of the data collection program by releasing balloons and pigeons at Savar Upazila Parishad.
In their speech, the election commissioners urged those collecting data to be careful about recording the name, age and permanent address correctly as per the birth certificate or education certificate during the update and not including names of dual voters or twice in the voter list. They sought everyone's cooperation in making the updated voter list 100% accurate.
Meanwhile, new voters are excited to be included in the voter list for the first time. They expect fair and impartial elections and to exercise their right to vote in the elections.
In this information collection program, the Election Commission's appointed data collectors will go door to door to collect information about citizens born on or before January 1, 2008 and those who were excluded from the update in the past. For this, 60,000 data collectors will work across the country. This program will continue until February 5. The data collectors expressed their hope to complete the work smoothly.
The program, chaired by Additional Secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat KM Ali Newaz, was attended as special guests by - Dhaka Range DIG of Police AKM Awlad Hossain, Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Sharaf Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, along with Election Commissioners Brigadier General Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah (retd.), Anwarul Islam Sarkar, Begum Tahmida Ahmed and Abdur Rahmanel Masud.