The Election Commission (EC) has estimated the overall cost of holding the 13th national parliamentary election and the referendum at around Tk 3,100 crore.
The Commission approved the budget on Wednesday to conduct both the general election and the referendum simultaneously on February 12, EC officials said.
Of the total allocation, Tk 1,200 crore has been earmarked for election management and operational expenses, while Tk 1,400 crore will be spent on the deployment of law enforcement agencies. Another Tk 500 crore has been allocated for the referendum, postal balloting and other ancillary costs.
Officials noted that the expenditure may increase further if required.
In comparison, the cost of the 12th national parliamentary election in 2024 was Tk 2,276 crore.
Explaining the higher budget, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said the increase was expected as the Commission is organising both a national election and a referendum at the same time, while also introducing postal balloting alongside the traditional manual voting system.
“The expenses are naturally higher because this time we are holding the general election and the referendum together, and using postal ballots in addition to manual ballots,” he said.
On December 11, the Election Commission announced the schedule for the 13th parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, to be held on February 12.
Under the leadership of Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, the EC has introduced an IT-supported hybrid postal balloting system for the first time in the country. The system combines digital registration with manual balloting and will be used by Bangladeshi expatriates in more than 120 countries.
The new postal ballot system will also apply to government employees posted outside their constituencies, polling officials and individuals in legal custody within Bangladesh.
