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Successful completion of voter list celebrated

CA terms registration of 80 million voters in 11 months a milestone towards fair polls

UNB, Dhaka
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday expressed his satisfaction at successful completion of an error-free voter list with photographs. saying it is a milestone towards a free and fair election.
“We look forward to an election which will not only be free, fair and credible but also set a high stan dard for future elections as well." the CA said while addressing a function marking the celebration of successful completion of voter registration at Radisson Hotel organised by the Election Commission.
He congratulated all who have made it happen, completing the registration of 80 million 500 thousand 723 voters with their photo-
graphs and fingerprints in 11 months.
“This has been a mammoth task as well as a landmark achievement. It is a happy occasion for all citizens who look forward to a free, fair and credible election in December this year," he told the function.
The CA said his government looks forward to the day when new government through upcoming free, fair and credible election will take over for successful transition to sustainable democracy.
About holding upazila parishad polls in October this year, as declared by the Election Commission, the CA said the final voter list after corrections will also be prepared within this period paving the way for future elections as well.
He thanked the Election Commission for sticking to its electoral roadmap and finishing the countrywide voter- registration programme in time.
The voter registration with photographs and fingerprints and national ID cards as pilot project was started in June 10, 2007 at Sreepur in Gazipur district while Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed formally inaugurated the nationwide digitized voter registration and national ID card in Rajshahi city on August 14,2007.
Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed and UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Renata Dessallien also spoke at function.
Chief Election Commissioner
SEE PAGE 15 COL 7 ATM Shamsul Huda made the welcome address at the function, attended by the speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad, advisers, special assistants to the chief adviser, diplomats, representatives of international development partners, high civil and military officials and distinguished personalities.
A video documentation on voter registration was displayed while election theme song rendered at the function.
The voter list project was approved in August 2007 and finished on July 9,2008.
The CA said the reconstituted Election Commission had decided at tire very outset that the voter list with photographs would be prepared afresh.
He said in order, to implement the new initiative technological feasibility had to be assessed along with human resource requirements. A pilot project was then launched in Sreepur with the help of Bangladesh Army.
The CA said UNDP provided inputs for the project implementation and rendered administrative assistance when the project faced procurement problems.
The project also received assistance from the European Union, DFID, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway. Denmark and the Republic of Korea.
The CA extended heartfelt thanks to everybody involved in the process, including those from Election Commission, Armed Forces, civil administration as well as voting-age citizens of the country without whose enthusiastic
participation it would not have Been possible to register 80.5 million voters by using a completely new technology.
Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda termed the new voter-registration process a memorable event in the annals of country's history.
He said participation of the Election Commission and Bangladesh Army has successfully completed a computerised data-based voter list.
Die CEC said digitized voter list with photos and fingerprints is one of the very few events in the history of Bangladesh since its independence.
UN Resident Coordinator Renata said today is the day of pride for Bangladesh people as the electronic registration of over 80 million voters within a span of just 11 months is a historic achievement.
“The people of Bangladesh can feel proud that their 2008 voter list compares favorably not only with other developing countries but also with developed countries," said the UN agency's country chief.