BNP election steering committee chairman Nazrul Islam Khan today said they informed the Election Commission (EC) about abnormal voter migration in some areas of the country ahead of the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad election and the Referendum–2026.

He disclosed this to journalists after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon area. 

A five-member BNP delegation led by Nazrul Islam Khan joined the meeting. 

Nazrul said over the past nearly one and a half years, there has been large-scale voter migration in different parts of the country, including Dhaka city. 

In some specific areas, an unusually high number of new voters have been added—something not seen before, he said.

The BNP leader said according to the information provided by the Election Commission, no constituency has shown more than two to three thousand migrated voters. 

However, BNP believes the actual number is much higher, he said.

Nazrul Islam Khan said the Commission has been requested to provide detailed, constituency-wise data on voter migration, and the Commission has assured that it will look into the matter. 

If there are any irregularities, the EC should take necessary measures to this end, he added.

The veteran BNP leader said ahead of the election, certain dishonest groups are engaged in various conspiracies, and they may be involved in fake voters or abnormal voter migration. 

To ensure a free, fair, and impartial election, he stressed that the EC must play a pragmatic role in this regard.

Nazrul Islam Khan said the meeting discussed a possible decision to involve the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) in election duties. 

In this context, he said it would not be appropriate to involve young students in a complex political process like parliamentary elections, as this could make both the students and their institutions controversial. 

BNP expressed the view that members of law enforcement agencies are more appropriate for such duties. The Commission said it would consider the matter, he said.

Regarding the appointment of local election observers, Nazrul said that the commission’s website shows approval information for more than 55,000 local observers. 

As a large number of observers are listed under some lesser-known organizations, the BNP requested a thorough review of the issue, he said adding that the EC assured of examining the matter.

Recalling the sacrifices of youths and the people who laid down their lives during the mass uprising of 2024, Nazrul Islam Khan said the Election Commission must take a strong stance against any conspiracy to ensure that the upcoming election is held in a free, fair, impartial, and peaceful manner. 

Although the election environment has so far been fairly good, he said the commission needs to play a more active and stronger role to further improve it.

Election commissioners, EC secretariat senior secretary were present at the meeting. 

The BNP delegation included senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, chairperson’s advisory council member Ismail Jabiullah and former acting secretary of the EC Secretariat Dr. Mohammad Zakaria.