Dhaka, Dec. 10 -- The Election Commission is poised to announce the schedule for the 13th national election within the next 48 hours, signalling the final stretch toward polls planned for the first half of February.

Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud told reporters on Tuesday that the announcement is likely today evening (10 December) or the following day (11 December), depending on the outcome of a scheduled meeting between President Mohammed Shahabuddin and senior EC officials on Tuesday afternoon.

Masud, speaking after a briefing at the EC headquarters following a meeting between Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin and Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, said all preparations for the CEC's address have been complet...