The Election Commission is trying to hold the referendum on the Constitution (Twelfth Amendment) Bill ahead of the bye elections in eleven Jatiya Sangsad constituencies scheduled for September 11.

Reliable sources say a date will be announced after examining weather and flood forecasts given by the Meteorological Department.

and the Water Development Board.

Meanwhile, the Jatlya Sangsad on Wednesday unanimously passed the Referendum Bill giving legal coverage for holding the referendum.

Holding of referendum is necessary because, the Constitution 12th Amendment Bill seeks to change a good number of articles which were protected by a Guarantee Clause under Article 142 (IA) of the Constitution.

Under the Referendum Bill, to be effective after the Acting President's assents, the Election Commission will announce the date of referendum within seven days of receipt of order from the Acting President

The law empowers the Election Commission to hold referendum within 40 days of announcement of date through gazette notification. However, since an exceptional situation is prevailing in the country now. efforts arc being made to complete the referendum as early as possible.

A reliable source said, the Election Commission is trying to live up to the reputation it had created by organising free and fair elections of the Parliament on February 27.

This referendum would be different from two other refer endums held In the late seventies and the early eighties under martial law regulations', said an authoritative source on condition of anonymity.

In the last two referendums voters did not have to put seal on ballot papers. They were given choice to put ballot papers in yes' boxes carrying portraits of the and

no boxes posted with a black paper.

In the present referendum ballot papers will carry two symbols besides carrying the words yes and no’ The yes part of the ballot paper will have a picture of the Sangsad Bhaban with word han' (yes) on it. The no part will carry a cross sign with the word nu (no) on it. Voters will be 4t liberty Io put their seals on any of the symbols.

Sources say llie Election Commission has collected a inrar number of photograph* of the Sangsad Bhaban (Parliament Building) from dif leieiil angles. Uis: plKXugtupli. which every voter will be able tn easily. «v*f1 »w rho.

sen from them.

ff photographs do not np pear to be ciamgli to SCTW Ils' purpose, artists will be en gfiged to give a familtur sketch of the building to be printed on the ballot paper

The sources saki the referendum will be organised in a way that tt becomes educative for most voters, and makes them democratic minded

The Secretary of the Election Commission is likely to be made the Returning Officer for the referendum. All Deputy Commissioners of the 64 districts arc likely to be made Assistant Returning Officers. Upazila Nirbuhl Officers will be asked to assist the Assistant Returning Officers In their work.

Polling stations will be those which were used during the last parliamentary elections. After appointment of the Returning Officer and Assistant Returning Officers. Presiding Officers and Polling Officers will be appointed, and services of law enforcing agencies en fisted

Presiding Officers will send results of referendum to Assistant Returning Officers who In their turn will compile the results and forward those to the Returning Officer The Returning Officer will announce results of the referendum

Sources say that the Election Commfeoion has already drafted rules under the

the procedures for holding of tin referendum. The rules are cxpcc led t» be cleared by ap-

dum bill tn the parliament for Immediate consideration on Wednesday Dr Badruddoza Chowdhury. Member-ln-Chargt of the bill requested

6ppc«-n Bench members to withdraw their urhcndmrnts. He said that mkc tlic Constitution 12th AoK-odment Bill was passed by the House unanimously, and referendum was needed to okey it; none should object to the passage of the referendum bill. He sought the support of the ix-ader of the Opposition Sls-ikh Hasina In this regard.

Sheikh Hasina M reply request Speaker Abdur Rahman Biswas who presided over the silling, to announce names of iIk MPs giving amendments k»r llic purpose of record. The Speaker obliged. The amend menu were then rejected by Ils I louse by voice votes

Finally the House passed the referendum bill unanimously.