January 2, 2006	Monday	Zilhaj 1, 1426

DHAKA, Jan 1: The election commission of Bangladesh on Sunday started a door-to-door voter registration drive amid protest by the Awami League-led opposition alliance and two writ petitions in the High Court. In a statement, the commission said it had launched the drive to educate the people about their right to vote and the need for ensuring that their names appeared on the voters’ list.

The officials expressed reluctance to undertake the assignment because of the legal challenge and the Awami League’s opposition. But the EC statement claimed the work was going ahead at a satisfactory pace.

The election commission has recruited almost 280,000 officials to prepare the new voters’ roll.