Political parties are urging Election Commission (EC) to amend key electoral rules ahead of the upcoming national election and referendum, but the commission appears reluctant to reopen the legal framework so close to polling.
At the same time, EC is under growing scrutiny for not inviting seven registered political parties — including Jatiya Party — to its current series of dialogues.
Parties attending the dialogue have proposed a wide range of changes to the Representation of the People Order (RPO) and the electoral code of conduct.
Their demands include reducing the security deposit for candidates, extending the campaign period, reinstating permission to use posters, lowering campaign spending limits, extending the deadline for removing campaign materials, allowing controlled motorcycle showdowns, introducing a “no vote” option nationwide, and giving political alliances complete freedom to distribute electoral symbols.
According to the parties, these reforms would make the electoral process more transparent and participatory. But EC officials say the commission does not want to amend laws at this late stage, particularly as the national parliamentary election operations manual has already been finalised under the existing rules.
Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar told TIMES of Bangladesh that political parties remain sharply divided over the current amendments. Some view alliance-level symbol allocation as a necessary precedent, while others believe it restricts democratic freedom. “It is very difficult to set a standard here,” he said.
He also noted the contrasting opinions over the poster ban. “Some see it as a landmark decision, while others argue it is impractical. Some say posters cannot be made without plastic, while others say hand-painted banners are environmentally friendly. Differences of opinion will always exist.”
The commission’s objective, he said, is to ensure that voters are prioritised and candidates increase personal engagement with them. But when asked whether the RPO or code of conduct would remain unchanged, he declined to comment.
Seven parties left out of EC dialogue
Beginning on 13 November, the EC invited 48 registered political parties to dialogue sessions held in four phases. Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) and Trinamool BNP did not participate. There are currently 57 registered parties, though the Awami League’s registration remains suspended.
The commission did not invite seven parties: Jatiya Party (JaPa), Jatiya Party (JP), Samyabadi Dal (ML), Workers Party of Bangladesh, Ganatantri Party, Jatiya Party (JAPA), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), and Bangladesh Tariqat Federation.
EC officials say objections from several Islamist parties led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami — along with NCP and Gono Odhikar Parishad — influenced the decision. They also noted that top leaders of some of the excluded parties face cases before the International Crimes Tribunal, which would disqualify them from contesting the election. Some leaders are fugitives, they added. In the case of Jatiya Party, a leadership dispute is currently before the court, complicating matters further.
Asked why the parties were left out and whether EC plans to invite them later, Commissioner Sarkar said several groups are still undergoing the registration process. “We do not yet know how these matters will be resolved,” he said. “Taking everything into account, the commission will later decide whether to hold dialogues with the remaining parties. No final decision has been made.”
When asked why the decision appeared stalled, he replied, “I will not comment on this.”
He also rejected the notion that EC was acting under political pressure. “The current commission does not act under anyone’s pressure,” he said. “There is no issue of pressure here. We have not said that we will not invite them.”
