Dhaka: The Election Commission is taking special measures in 65 upazilas of 19 districts treating these as remote areas so that no foreign national can be enrolled in the voter list.

Besides, the commission will take special steps in 14 other upazilas of the three hill districts—Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban and Rangamati— treating those as special areas for Rohingyas aiming to prevent Rohingyas from getting enrolled as voters.

The Commission started a three-phase process of data collection of possible voters across the country on Saturday.

‘There’s an instruction from the Chief Election Commissioner (Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad) to take special measures in 65 remote upazilas across the country,’ said EC Secretary Md Sirazul Islam.

The remote areas and the special areas will be kept under special watch of the Commission and the intelligence agencies so that no foreign national can be registered as voters, said an EC official.

Possible voters in the remote upazilas and the special upazilas will have to fill special forms mentioning 15 information, including the address of origin, address of father and grandfather, and the identities of their close relatives and their assets, he said.

But in case of normal form, a possible voter does not need to mention the information related to their forefathers, origin, close relatives and assets, he noted.

The 65 remote upazilas are Char Fasson and Manpura of Bhola district, Hizla and Mehendiganj of Barisal, Betagi, Patharghata and Bamna, Rampal and Sarankhola of Bagerhat, Galachipa, Kalapara, Dashmina and Rangabali of Patuakhali, Kawkhali of Pirojpur, Assasuni and Shyamnagar of Satkhira, Batiaghata, Dacope and Koyra of Khulna, Hatiya of Noakhali, Sandip of Chittagong, Maheshkhali and Kutubdia of Cox’s Bazar, Baniyachong, Ajmiriganj and Lakhai of Habiganj, Dowarabazar, Dharmapasha, Shalla, Jamalganj, Deria, Bishwamvarpur and Tahirpur of Sunamganj, Itna, Mithamain and Astagram of Kishoreganj, Kalmakanda, Durgapur and Khaliajuri of Netrakona, Chauhali of Sirajganj,  Panchhari, Mahalchhari, Manikchhari, Matiranga, Ramgarh, Lakshmichhari, Sadar and Dighinala of Khagrachhari, Thanchi, Rowangchhari, Ali Kadam, Naikhongchhari, Sadar, Ruma and Lama of Bandarban, and Naniyachar, Barkal, Bagaichhari, Sadar, Rajasthali, Langdhu, Kawkhali, Kaptai, Juraichhari and Belaichhari of Rangamati districts.

The 14 upazilas identified as special areas for Rohingya people are Chakaria, Teknaf, Ramu, Pekua, Ukhia, Maheshkhali, Kutubdia and Sadar of Cox’s Bazar district, Ali Kadam, Lama, Naikhongchhari and Sadar of Bandarban, and Belaichhari and Kaptai of Rangamati districts.

In the 14 special areas, an upazila-level special committee, headed by Upazila Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) comprising local public representatives, officials of law-enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies will examine the identities of potential voters and cancel the applications of Rohingyas, the EC official said.

The Commission will collect the data of Bangladeshi nationals born on or before 1 January, 2000 till 22 September next for updating the voter list.

Of them, only those who were born on or before 1 January, 1998 will be registered as voters in 2016, while the remaining ones in 2017 and 2018.