Dhaka: The Election Commission has said that no one younger than 18 years of age will be able to vote, apparently an explanation to BNP’s allegation that the EC’s move to enroll under-18 youths in the voter list is unlawful and ill-motivated.

The Election Commission on Wednesday urged all not to spread confusion over the data collection of under-18 citizens saying that there is no scope for the under-age people to get enrolled as voters.

“According to section 11 of the Voter List Act 2009, data collection started for updating the voter list and two years data are being collected in advance this time,” reports UNB quoting an EC press release signed by its director (PR) SM Asaduzzaman.

“No one will be able to be voter before s/he exceeds 18,” the statement added.

Observing that it came to the Commission’s notice that a non-government organisation and some quarters provided various opinions over the voter list updating programme 2015 and the age of those whose data are being collected, the EC said it is conducting the electoral rolls updating programmes following the Constitution and the related laws.

The EC urged all not create or spread confusion over the voter list updating programme through wrong and misinterpretation.

Earlier BNP said the Election Commission has taken a whimsical move to register 15-17 age group youths while updating the voter list ahead of elections in over 300 municipalities and union parishads.

According to the statement, white-coloured slips are being used for the registration of possible voters born on or before January 1, 1998 during the data collection, who will be included in the voter list on January 31, 2016 following disposal of complaints, the EC said.

On the other hand, multi-coloured slips are being used for possible voters born on or before January 1, 2000 but after January 1, 1998.  The data of them will be stored separately. So, there is no scope for them to be included in the main database or the voter list, it added.

As per the data to be collected in advance, those who will exceed 18 years on or before January 1, 2017 will be included in the electoral rolls in 2017 after the disposal of complaints over the draft voter list. Similarly, those who will cross 18 on or before January 1, 2018 will be enlisted in the same year as voters following the same process, the commission clarified.

Besides, providing national identity cards to people aged less than 18 is under consideration of the Election Commission, it noted.