Dhaka, Nov. 22 -- Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said the government has formally sent a letter requesting that the upcoming national election and the proposed referendum be held on the same day.

Speaking at a workshop on elections organized by the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) in Dhaka's Gulshan on Saturday, November 22, the CEC said the interim government had instructed the Election Commission (EC) to prepare for both the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections and the referendum simultaneously.

The referendum law is expected to be enacted next week, after which the EC will begin its preparations. The CEC acknowledged that holding national polls and the referendum on the same day would be a significant challenge for the...