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The interim government on Thursday endorsed amendments to the Representation of the People Order 1972.

The amendments included incorporating provisions for ‘no vote’ against a single candidate and the use of respective party symbol instead of a common one for any electoral alliance in the Jatiya Sangsad elections.

Major changes

- Anyone declared fugitive by court would be disqualified for polls
- Alliance candidates must contest with respective party symbols
- Army, navy, air force defined as law enforcement agencies
- Postal ballots to be introduced for people engaged in polls, expatriates

They also included a clause disqualifying anyone declared a fugitive by a court from contesting the JS polls and another clause dropping all provisions related to the electronic voting machine, a controversial device introduced by the previous government.

The council of advisers in its weekly meeting gave the final approval to the draft of the Representation of the People Order (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 with chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in the chair at his Tejgaon office.

The RPO amendment ordinance was placed by the Legislative Division of the law, justice and  parliamentary affairs ministry.

‘All provisions related EVM have been dropped from the RPO through the amendment,’ said law adviser Asif Nazrul at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy after the council of advisers’ meeting.

Dubbing it as an electoral reform, he said that the provision of ‘no vote’ against a single candidate’ was being introduced so that no one could get elected unopposed as this had happened in the past. 

Asif Nazrul, also a professor of law, said that anyone declared fugitive by a court would not be eligible for being a candidate in the national elections.

‘Moreover, any candidate nominated by a party under an electoral alliance must contest with the symbol of their respective parties instead of a common symbol,’ he added.

He also said that the employees engaged in conducting the polls and expatriates living abroad would be allowed to cast votes through postal ballots.

The adviser said that the army, navy and air force were covered under the definition of the law enforcement agencies during the polls.

The security deposit for each candidate has been increased to Tk50,000 from Tk 20,000, he further said.  

The donation amounting to Tk50,000 and above must be received through a banking channel, the law adviser said, adding that the donor should have a tax identification number.

The Election Commission recently finalised amendments to the Representation of the People Order and sent the draft to the Legislative Division of the law ministry ahead of the next polls to be held in the first half of February, 2026.

Under the current law, only those convicted of criminal offences are barred from contesting in the polls, according to Election Commission officials.

The new provision would apply to individuals declared fugitives during trial proceedings also, they said.

If the government suspends any political party’s activities, its registration and reserved electoral symbol would also remain suspended although the party itself is not declared illegal, according to the draft.

The election expenditure ceiling, which had been Tk 25 lakh or Tk 10 per voter, whichever was lower, has been revised to ‘whichever is higher’.

This amendment provides flexibility, as constituencies vary in size, geography, and costs, according the EC officials.

The affidavit process has been tightened as the candidates must now attach income tax returns of the latest year, declare sources of income at home and abroad, and provide details of the property and the debt both inside and outside Bangladesh.

Copies of affidavits, especially asset statements, would be published on the EC website.

If any candidate provides false information in the affidavit, or if it appears to the Election Commission that false information has been provided, the commission may investigate and take action.

At any time during the five-year term for which a person is elected, the person concerned may be recalled.

Besides, his or her candidacy will be cancelled, and he or she will lose his or her seat as a Member of Parliament, the final draft of the RPO said.

It also proposed that the commission would have the authority to cancel the election results across all 300 constituencies, if necessary.

Previously, the presiding officer could decide to start or stop voting, but a provision was later added requiring him/her to call law enforcement agencies for inspection and a report before acting.

The final draft has removed the provision and returned to the earlier system where the presiding officer would be the supreme election official in the centre and would be able to decide whether to continue or stop voting.

It said that the polling stations would be listed by district election officers and would be approved by the Election Commission.

The persons serving on the governing bodies of educational institutions within a constituency would be disqualified from contesting elections, as would executives in state-owned companies where the government holds more than 50 per cent shares, according to the approved draft.

The amendments would come into effect through promulgation by an ordinance with the president’s approval.