The chief election commissioner (CEC) said on Saturday (November 22) that the interim government has formally instructed the Election Commission to prepare for a national referendum to be held on the same day as the general election. The directive, he said, presents an unprecedented logistical challenge for the commission.

Speaking at the closing session of an Asian Network for Free Elections workshop at a hotel in Dhaka, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said the government has sent a letter asking the commission to begin preparations.

“Such a face-to-face situation, where election and referendum are held on the same day, has never occurred under any previous election commission,” he said. He added that the current commission is facing challenges that earlier commissions did not confront.

Nasir Uddin said all procedures are being carried out within the law and that the commission has “no second option.” He noted that the commission cannot act on the referendum until the necessary legislation is in place, though the proposed referendum law is expected to be passed next week. Once enacted, the commission will begin work according to that law. He said if there is a referendum, there will be a yes-or-no vote on all four points.

Addressing postal voting, he said passports cannot be accepted without verification, citing instances in which foreign nationals have used Bangladeshi passports abroad. He said the commission is prepared for the election and ready to manage any challenges that arise.

Nasir Uddin also warned that curbing misinformation spread through artificial intelligence on social media will be difficult during this election cycle. He added that the commission’s work would be easier if the country’s political culture were more cooperative.

On the same day, the commission’s senior secretary, Akhtar Ahmed, said the government’s letter made clear that organizing the referendum is the Election Commission’s responsibility and that it must be held on the same day as the national vote.