United News of Bangladesh

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah on Monday said journalists and election observers can carry mobile phones inside polling stations on the polling day on February 12, except for four personnel.  “Journalists and observers with mobile phones will face no problem to have access to polling stations,” he told reporters while visiting the election result booths at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city. Earlier, the Election Commission had banned the carrying and use of mobile phones within a 400-yard radius of polling stations on polling day, except for four personnel. The directive was issued in a letter signed by Senior Assistant Secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat Md Shahidul Islam, which was sent to the returning officers on Sunday. According to the EC decision, only three categories of personnel will be allowed to carry mobile phones inside polling stations.  They are the presiding officer concerned, the police officer who will be in-charge for security at the station concerned, and two Ansar members (Embodied Ansar/General Ansar/VDP) assigned to use the ‘Election Security 2026’ application. The letter instructed 69 returning officers, including the divisional commissioners of Dhaka and Chattogram, deputy commissioners of all 64 districts, and the regional election officers of Dhaka, Chattogram, and Khulna, to ensure proper implementation of the decision. Due to the directive, candidates or even journalists will not be permitted to carry or use mobile phones within the 400-yard perimeter of polling stations on polling day. Following the EC’s letter, Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy (RFED) on Monday met EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed and protested the EC’s decision that banned carrying of mobile phones by journalists inside the polling stations on the voting day. RFED President Kazi Jebel said the forum informed the Election Commission that such a decision would create obstacles to press freedom and undermine election transparency. “Such a decision would hinder the transparency of the election and restrict media freedom. Mobile phones are an indispensable tool for journalists to perform their professional duties,” he said. The Election Commission announced the election schedule on December 11 last year to hold the 13th parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order simultaneously on February 12, 2026.

The Election Commission has requested the government to provide progress reports on the repair and renovation of polling station structures that are likely to be used in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The EC on Monday sent an urgent letter to six government officials --four secretaries and two chief engineers -- seeking updates on the progress of repair and renovation works to be sent within one month. The six officials are the senior secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, the secretaries of the Primary and Mass Education Ministry, the Technical and Madrasah Education Division and the LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry, and the chief engineers of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and the Education Engineering Department (EED). EC must be ready, no matter when election held: CEC “Information on the progress of renovation activities of the facilities to be used as polling stations for the upcoming parliamentary elections is particularly needed. It is requested to collect the information and send it to the Election Commission Secretariat by July 17,” reads the letter signed by EC Deputy Secretary Dewan Md Sarwar Jahan. Referring to a previous letter sent in April last to the same authorities, the Election Commission said some educational institutions used as polling stations in the last general election or might be used in the next elections do not have boundary walls or their doors and windows are in dilapidated condition. So, the EC instructed the ministries or divisions concerned to carry out minor repairs or renovations at the educational institutions with their own funds. There were more than 44,000 polling stations in the 12th Parliamentary Election (held in January, 2024), over 40,000 polling stations in the 11th parliamentary election (December, 2018) and nearly 38 polling stations in the 10th parliamentary election (January, 2014).  

A team of 15-17 security members will be posted at each polling station in the 300 constituencies throughout the country in the 12th parliamentary elections slated for January 7. According to a notification issued by the Election Commission on Thursday, tighter security would be taken for vulnerable polling stations. There are some 42,000 polling stations throughout the country and a total of 11,96,91,633 voters will have rights to cast their votes in the 12th general election. Faridpur 3 constituency: Candidates of Boat and Eagle symbols promise development The commission designed separate security plans for the polling stations located outside the metropolitan area and the stations located inside the metropolitan areas. Outside the metropolitan areas, a team of 15-16 security personnel including two police with arms, one ansar with arms, one ansar with arms or stick, 10 ansar with sticks, one or two village police members with sticks will protect each normal polling station. But in case of each important polling station (which is considered as vulnerable stations), there will be a team of 16-17 security men including three police with arms. Inside the metropolitan area, a 15-member security team consisting of three police members with arms, one ansar with arms, another ansar with arms or stick and 10 others ansar members with sticks will ensure security for each polling station. Chattogram-15: Clashes escalate among supporters of independent and AL candidates in Satkania But in case of an important polling station, a 16-member security team will guard it and the number of police members with arms would be four instead of three. The structure of the security team for special areas – Chittagong Hill Tracts and hard-to-reach areas—would be the same as was taken for other rural places outside the metropolitan areas. The law enforcement agency members will remain deployed for five days (including travelling time) from two days before the balloting and they will stay there till a day after the voting. Besides, the members of armed forces, BGB, Coast Guard, Rab, Police, Armed Police and Ansar Battalion will be deployed in the election areas as mobile teams and striking forces. They will be engaged in election duty for 13 days (including their traveling time) from December 29, 2023 to January 10, 2024. Moreover, a good number of judicial magistrates and executive magistrates are there deployed in the election areas to check violation of election code of conduct. Jan 7 election: Jatiya Party candidates at loggerheads over withdrawal from the race in Khulna Out of 44 registered political parties, 27 parties are contesting in the election, while BNP and some others are boycotting the polls demanding the election under a neutral government. A total of 1895 contenders are running in the parliamentary election. The candidates are now carrying out electioneering and they can continue the electoral campaign till January 5 (8am), 48 hours before the balloting, which will continue from 8 am to 4pm without any recess on January 7.

Three people including a policeman and an Ansar member were injured as a crude bomb was exploded at Gonipur Government Primary School polling station in Dagonbhuiya upazila during the municipality election on Saturday.