1. Why This Proposal:

Considering the current law-and-order situation in the country, the limited capacity of the Election Commission, and the complexities of holding the national election and a referendum on the same day, the proposal of “voting in 7 divisions over 7 days” has now become one of the most discussed topics among experts. Amid growing concerns over recent developments and security risks, distinguished election analysts, former administrators, security specialists, and seasoned observers say that holding a nationwide election in a single day is unrealistic, unsafe, and illogical in the present context.

2. Warnings from Law-and-Order Experts:
Security analysts believe that nearly 30–40 percent of the country’s polling centers are listed as ‘vulnerable’. Deploying adequate police, RAB, BGB across all of them on the same day and maintaining full control is nearly impossible.
In their words—
“Law enforcement cannot apply their full strength without phase-wise voting.”

If voting is conducted in one division at a time, the forces can operate in a concentrated area with higher density—something they believe will significantly help control clashes, capturing of centers, and violence.

3. The Real Picture of the Election Commission’s Capacity:
According to former Election Commission officials, holding the national election and referendum on the same day means double pressure:

Dual ballots or EVMs
Additional ballot boxes
Dual counting
Dual result announcement

A senior observer directly said—
“National election + referendum on a single day significantly increases the risk of operational chaos. If divided over 7 days, the chances of mistakes decrease.”

With division-wise voting, the Commission can give maximum attention to one region per day; they argue that the management of officials, logistic support, and transportation becomes far more controlled.

4. Increased Voter Participation Will Be the Biggest Gain:
Experts say that the main indicator of a fair election is voter turnout.
One-day chaos, overcrowding, long queues, and fear over security discourage voters from coming to polling centers.
In phase-wise voting:

Crowd decreases
Security increases
Participation of women, elderly, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups rises

For these reasons, they expect the turnout to be higher if voting is conducted in 7 divisions over 7 days.

5. Mitigating the Additional Pressure of the Referendum:
Holding a referendum alongside the national election is a major responsibility.
Managing two types of ballots or two processes on the same day increases the risks of confusion, errors, and fraud.
If voting is done in phases, awareness, preparation, and management for the referendum can be ensured properly.

6. International Examples:
Countries like India, Indonesia, Afghanistan, and Nepal conduct phase-wise voting over multiple days due to security considerations.
Experts believe a similar approach is timely for Bangladesh as well, especially when additional responsibilities like a referendum are involved.

7. The Benefits to Be Achieved:
According to expert assessments,
in the current context of Bangladesh, the only way to ensure a fair, safe, acceptable, and internationally standard election is “phase-wise voting in 7 divisions over 7 days.”

Otherwise—

Law-and-order control,
Security arrangements,
Voter participation,
Election Commission’s management,
Transparency in result announcements, etc.
—all may fall into uncertainty.