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All
citizens of Bangladesh of and above the age of 18, who
have registered themselves as voters, form the
electorate. Each constituency elects one Member of
Parliament on the basis of direct election. All citizens
of Bangladesh having attained the age of 25 qualify to
be elected to Parliament. Those disqualified include the
insane, un-discharged bankrupts, persons who on
conviction for a criminal offence involving moral
turpitude have been sentenced to imprisonment for not
less than two years unless five years have elapsed since
their release, persons owing allegiance to a foreign
state, and persons holding an office of profit in the
service of the Republic.
The
Election Commission allocates election symbols to the
political parties. The election symbols of political
parties having members in the Eighth Parliament are
Bangladesh Nationalist Party uses the symbol of
‘Sheaf of Paddy', Bangladesh Awami League the
symbol of ‘Boat’, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh the
symbol of a pair of Scales, the Jatiyo Party (Ershad)
the symbol of ‘Plough’, Jatiyo Party (Monju) the
symbol of ‘Bicycle’ and Krishak Sramik Janata League
the symbol of Gamchha (towel).
An independent candidate also gets a symbol
allocated in his favour by the Election Commission.
A
general election for a new Parliament takes place on the
same day in all constituencies. Depending on the size of
a constituency, and its total number of voters, a number
of polling centres are set up with arrangements for
voters to exercise their franchise freely, peacefully
and in secrecy. Polling officials in each centre in the
presence of candidates or their nominees count votes.
The result is sent to the Returning Officer in sealed
covers together with ballot papers. The Returning
Officer, generally the Deputy Commissioner of the
district, communicates the result of each constituency
to the Election Commission after he has compiled the
results in the presence of the candidates or their
authorised representatives. Unofficial results start
being announced in the state radio and television from
the evening of the Election Day. The Election Commission
declares the result of the general election formally a
few days later through the publication of the names of
winning candidates in the official Bangladesh Gazette.
Members-elect are administered oath of office by the
outgoing Speaker.
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