The Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, stated on Tuesday that a transparent roadmap for the upcoming national election has been provided. Speaking at a press briefing held at the Foreign Service Academy in the afternoon, he said, “A clearer roadmap than this is hardly possible.”

He noted that Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus has indicated the election may take place either in December 2025 or by June 30, 2026. The Election Commission (EC) will provide a specific date, he added.

Addressing issues in the education sector, Shafiqul Alam emphasized the government’s commitment to tackling corruption. He pointed out that widespread bribery takes place during transfers and promotions in schools and colleges under various divisions of the Ministry of Education. The interim government aims to eradicate such corruption and bring qualitative changes to the education system.

When asked about the possibility of forming an education commission, Shafiqul Alam said it was too early to comment on such a move. However, he noted that the government has already taken several immediate steps, including plans to modernize textbooks for classes nine and ten.

Additionally, he revealed that the University Grants Commission will be restructured to become simply the University Commission, with a focus on streamlining its operations. The government also plans to rapidly modernize ICT education to meet global standards. He highlighted the inadequacy of current allocations for the education sector compared to global benchmarks and criticized the previous government for making unnecessary investments while neglecting the sector. Allocations for education will be increased, he assured.

Earlier on Tuesday, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A.K.M. Nasir Uddin stated that the Election Commission is ready to conduct the election at any time, depending on the government’s directives. He mentioned that the Chief Advisor has already announced a timeframe, and the commission will work in line with it, though they will follow their own operational plans.

Regarding local government elections, the CEC clarified that the Chief Advisor’s statement focused on the national parliamentary election, not local elections. Political stakeholders have also expressed concerns primarily about the parliamentary election and the transfer of power from the interim government to an elected administration, he said.

On the issue of delimitation, A.K.M. Nasir Uddin assured that boundary redefinition will be carried out based on fairness. He noted that any irregularities or biased boundary adjustments from the past would be scrutinized and rectified. The election will not adhere to the boundaries of 2001 but will be based on current, equitable considerations.

When asked whether the upcoming election will use the existing voter list or a new one, the CEC explained that a new final voter list will be ready within two months. After that, the commission will conduct a door-to-door data collection process to update the voter database. He acknowledged issues such as deceased individuals remaining on the list, exclusions of eligible voters, the inclusion of foreigners, and duplication of voter registrations. These discrepancies will be addressed through verification and corrections, and the revised voter list will be used for the election.

Commenting on the participation of the Awami League in the national election, the CEC said it is a political decision and not within the purview of the commission to comment.

Finally, he stated that electronic voting machines (EVMs) will not be used in the national election. Instead, the election will be conducted using paper ballots.