Dhaka, Dec. 2 -- With Bangladesh set to hold parliamentary elections alongside the referendum, the Election Commission (EC) is considering extending polling time by one hour and doubling the number of voting booths in each centre in an effort to ensure smooth voting and prevent delays in counting.

On Tuesday, Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam said a decision would be taken at the commission meeting scheduled for Sunday.

"The commission will decide on steps to ensure that both the referendum and parliamentary votes are cast correctly and counted on time," he said.

The commission tested its preparations on Saturday with a mock election at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Government High School in Dhaka. Observers noted that separate ballots for the...