Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Retd) Abul Fazal Mohammad Sanaullah has assured that the Election Commission (EC) is working to ensure that “voter-less and agent-less elections” will not occur again in Bangladesh.
Speaking to reporters at the EC office on Wednesday, Sanaullah mentioned that the armed forces have been added to the list of law enforcement agencies in the amendment to the Representation of People Order (RPO).
Additionally, presiding officers have been given full authority to close or keep voting centres open.
Sanaullah also stated, “This time, the district election officer will be responsible for setting up the polling stations, and the provision for online nomination submission has been removed from the RPO.”
On the issue of electoral symbols, Sanaullah said, “If any political party’s activities are suspended, their electoral symbol will also be suspended, and they will not be allowed to participate in the election.
“However, whether an independent candidate can run without a symbol remains to be seen.”
He further added that even if parties contest elections in a coalition, each party’s candidates will contest under their respective symbols.
Sanaullah also mentioned that if a candidate provides false or concealed information in their affidavit, the EC will take necessary action, and if found guilty, the individual will lose their parliamentary seat.
Regarding eligibility for contesting the election, he stated, “Those who are declared fugitives by the court will not be eligible to participate. Additionally, individuals holding lucrative positions or owning 50 percent or more shares in government institutions will also be disqualified.”
On the issue of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and election guarantees, he clarified that all provisions related to EVMs have been cancelled, and postal ballots will be considered as the voting method for symbols.
The security deposit for candidacy has been increased from Tk20,000 to Tk50,000, and if there is only one candidate, a ‘No’ option will be included in the ballot for that seat.
