Polls schedule likely today as fifth round of blockade begins

• Fifth round of blockade beings from 6am
• EC dismisses impact of Donald Lu's letter
• DCs to be made returning officers; list to be finalised today
• BNP to impose hartal, wage non-cooperation movement
• PM thanks people for voting her party to power time and again
• Security beefed up in EC area schedule announcement 

The country braces for another politically charged day as the Election Commission is likely to unveil the national election schedule today amid the start of the fifth round of opposition blockade.

Journalists will be informed about the announcement for the election schedule at 10am today and Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal will address the nation at 5pm, according to the Election Commission.

Usually, the commission convenes a meeting before unveiling the schedule for the national elections. The CEC's speech is then recorded for broadcast on Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar. The speech is broadcast in the evening when the schedule is announced.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in the Election Commission area ahead of the announcement of the election schedule. A notice by the EC security said there would be no entry into the EC building without an official ID from today.

The ruling Awami League wants to get on with the elections as per the constitution while the opposition BNP will continue their ongoing anti-government programmes and accelerate the movement to resist the election.

After the announcement of the election schedule, BNP-Jamaat and other like-minded parties may call for continuous "hartal" to bolster their ongoing countrywide movement to resist the election under the Awami League-led government, according to sources. 

Several BNP and Jamaat leaders told The Business Standard that the moment the government announces the schedule, a continuous hartal may be launched immediately.

As a plan to increase the intensity of the movement, the announcement of the non-cooperation movement will come after the gradual hartal programmes. 

Additionally, plans are underway to completely isolate Dhaka from the rest of the country by blockading all entry and exit points, they said.

Furthermore, there is a strategy in place to mobilise leaders and activists from across the country to converge in Dhaka and lay siege to the commission building in an attempt to prevent the upcoming election at all costs.

Jamaat Naib Ameer and former MP Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher said, "Jamaat-e-Islami is serious about the movement to oust the government, and this ongoing movement will not stop until the government falls."

Political violence has engulfed the country for over two weeks, sparked by the BNP's 28 October rally in Nayapaltan, marked by confrontations with the police and ruling party members. 

In response, the BNP halted the rally, declared a nationwide strike on 29 October, and enforced four rounds of two-day blockades in two weeks.

'No impact of Donald Lu's letter' 

Meanwhile, EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam dismissed the impact of a letter sent by US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, stating that it will not influence the timing of the election schedule announcement.

"The election schedule will be announced as planned. The letter addressed to the three political parties by Donald Lu will not alter the announcement schedule," he said during a media interaction at the Election Commission building in Agargaon today.

Stating that the commission was unaware of the letter's contents, he emphasised the commission's commitment to adhering to its established course, guided by constitutional responsibilities.

The US earlier dispatched letters urging "dialogue without preconditions" between the three primary parties: the Awami League, the BNP, and the Jatiya Party.

Awami League ready to confront

Prime Minister and AL President Sheikh Hasina said, "The EC may announce the election schedule in one or two days…The next election is approaching. If the people cast a vote for us, we will come to power. In case we don't, we will have no regret for that".

She said the Awami League never comes to power in an undemocratic way, referring to the assumption of power through the 2014 and 2018 elections.

The premier also thanked the people for voting her party to power time and again, giving them the chance to serve the nation.

She alleged the BNP-Jamaat alliance does not want to take part in the election but rather to create an unstable situation in the country by carrying out arson violence to land people suffering.

EC officials may not be returning officers 

Election Commission (EC) officials may face exclusion from serving as returning officers in the upcoming national election, owing to the prevailing tense political situation, according to EC sources. 

The commission's officials lack the necessary skills to conduct the national election seamlessly, especially in coordinating with law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders, they said. 

Therefore, the EC is leaning towards prioritising deputy commissioners for the role of returning officers.

The EC is set to finalise the appointment of returning officers today, with an official gazette notification expected to follow. 

Earlier, during a meeting in October, field-level EC officials expressed their desire to be appointed as returning officers and assistant returning officers in the upcoming election.