United News of Bangladesh

Facing widespread criticism over restrictions on carrying mobile phones within 400 yards of polling centres and inside the centres on polling day, the Election Commission on Monday withdrew the ban, allowing voters, journalists, observers and others to use mobile phones. Voters, candidates and their polling agents will be allowed to carry mobile phones inside polling centres, although taking photographs inside secret voting booths will remain prohibited, Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told reporters at the EC Secretariat in Agargaon in the evening. Earlier, the Commission had issued a directive banning the carrying and use of mobile phones within 400 yards of polling centres on election day. The restriction applied to voters, polling agents and others on election duty, with limited exceptions. Under the earlier directive, only the presiding officer, the officer-in-charge of police assigned to the centre and two authorised Ansar members were permitted to carry mobile phones within the restricted area.