The Election Commission on Thursday decided that electronic voting machines would not be used in any future elections.
The commission also tightened the affidavit rules, requiring candidates to declare dual citizenship with certification and disclose their full lifetime criminal history.
It also finalised its decision to allow Bangladeshi expatriates to cast their votes in the upcoming national election through an information-technology-enabled postal ballot system.聽
Election commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah announced the decisions on Thursday, following the commission鈥檚 eighth meeting at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital鈥檚 Agargaon area.
The commission meeting, chaired by chief election commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, discussed several key legal and administrative issues in preparation for the upcoming national election.
The agenda included proposed amendments to the Representation of the People Order 1972 (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, the Election Commission Secretariat (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, and the Election Officers (Special Provisions) Act 1991 (Amendment) Ordinance 2025.
Other matters discussed in the meeting included the affidavit submitted by candidates along with their nomination papers, the reinstatement of administrative and financial authority of officials within the EC secretariat, and the delimitation of constituencies.
Election commissioner Abul Fazal said that the commission decided to discontinue the use of EVMs in all future elections, including national and local polls.
Abul Fazal explained that the decision was taken due to the absence of political consensus on EVMs and was aligned with recommendations from the reform commission.
He said that the commission would form a committee to decide on the future handling or disposal of the existing EVMs currently in its possession.
The election commissioner said that the commission tightened affidavit requirements for candidates ahead of the national polls, incorporating key proposals from the reform commission.
Candidates must now declare dual citizenship with certification, disclose their full lifetime criminal history and submit asset statements of close relatives.
The election commissioner said that, while penalties for false information exist, it currently lacks the authority to act against candidates who assume office or complete their term based on false declarations.
To address this, the commission has proposed an amendment to empower itself to recall and hold accountable any individual found to have obtained office through false information, with the aim of enhancing transparency and accountability during their tenure, he said.
Regarding expatriate voters, Abul Fazal said that the new system was designed to address the shortcomings of the traditional postal method. He said that expatriate voters would no longer need to physically apply to the returning officer, as applications could now be submitted online from abroad.
The revised process would see ballots sent directly from the printing source to the voter, bypassing earlier delays.
Once completed, the ballots would be returned straight to the returning officer.
The commissioner indicated that a proposal for introducing 鈥榖lank ballots鈥� which would either contain only party symbols or allow voters to write in candidate names was currently under review.
He mentioned that a dedicated online platform was being developed for both general voter registration and a specific system for overseas citizen voter enrolment.
Abul Fazal said that a Development Project Proforma for the initiative was in progress, with an estimated cost of around Tk 48 crore.
The commissioner said that the EC has reached the final stage of the delimitation process, which is currently under discussion and subject to further review by a technical committee.
He said that no applications had been received concerning the 221 constituencies, though areas with notable population variations were being examined for possible adjustments.
He indicated that minimal changes are expected in Dhaka city鈥檚 constituencies, given the substantial growth in its population and voter numbers over the past 17 years.
The commission is expected to announce the final decisions on delimitation next week.
The election commissioner said that initial verification of political party registration applications had been completed.
He said that those parties with complete applications, submitted in the correct format, would move on to field-level verification, while those with incomplete submissions would be given 15 days to resubmit.
Abul Fazal said that the proposed amendment ordinance to the Representation of the People Order 1972 had been presented and that discussions on the matter were ongoing.
In another development, the Election Commission has formed five coordination and oversight committees to accelerate preparations for the upcoming 13th national election.
The five office orders detailing the committees were issued on Thursday, signed by the commission鈥檚 deputy secretary Md Shah Alam.
According to the orders, commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah will chair both the Law and Order Committee and the Committee on Expatriate Voting and Observers.
Commissioner Tahmida Ahmed will lead the Training of Polling Officers Committee, Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud will oversee the Legal and Electoral Oversight Committee, and Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar will head the Field Administration Coordination Committee.
