The Election Commission (EC) has opened a law and order coordination cell to receive any allegation or information related to violation of electoral codes, electoral irregularities and propaganda.

The coordination cell, set up at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city’s Agargaon area, will remain operational until February 13, a day after the balloting.

Any citizen can provide any allegation or information to the cell through five telephone numbers -- 0255007470, 0255007471, 0255007472, 0255007474 and 0255007506, said EC Director (Public Relations) Ruhul Amin Mollik on Thursday.

This is the first time the EC installed the law and order coordination cell ahead of any election.

The EC on December 12 last declared the schedule to arrange the 13th national election and the referendum on July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order simultaneously on February 12, 2026.

A total of 2,565 aspirants – from 51 political parties and as independent – submitted nomination papers for the country’s 300 constituencies in the election by the December-29 deadline, but the returning officers declared a total of 1842 nomination papers valid, while rejected 723 other nomination papers during the scrutiny from December 30 to January 04.

More than 450 aggrieved aspirants already filed the appeal petitions with the Election Commission, challenging the decisions of the returning officers over the acceptance and cancellation of nomination papers till Thursday, a day before the expiry of the deadline.

The Commission will hear and dispose of the appeals from January 10 to 18.

The last date for the withdrawal of candidature is January 20. The election campaign will start on January 22 and continue till 48 hours before the balloting period (7:30am on February 10).