The Election Commission on Thursday approved the draft of the Jatiya Sangsad election code of conduct, introducing key changes, including a ban on posters in election campaigns, stipulating the announcement of manifestos by candidates聽 from a common platform, and steeply increasing the fines for violating the聽code.
The draft of the code, titled Parliamentary Election Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates 2025, was approved during the seventh EC meeting at the chief election commissioner鈥檚 office at Agargaon in the capital city with CEC AMM Nasir Uddin in the chair and attended by four election commissioners.
Following the meeting, election commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah disclosed that the commission decided to completely eliminate the use of posters in election campaigns in line with reform commission recommendations.
During election campaigns, billboards 鈥� previously prohibited 鈥� would now be permitted with banners, festoons, handbills, and leaflets remaining allowed under newly defined regulations, Abul Fazal said.
Besides, the use of environmentally-friendly campaign materials has been encouraged, the election commissioner further said.
Abul Fazal said that Section 91(o) of the Representation of the People Order has been incorporated into the revised code of conduct, allowing the cancellation of candidacy if a candidate is sentenced to more than two years in prison, subject to an inquiry committee鈥檚 report and the commission鈥檚 decision.
The draft code included a provision requiring all candidates in each constituency to declare their manifestos from a common platform, to be arranged by the local returning officer, he said.
聽Participation in debates or dialogues hosted by television and media outlets has also been approved.
The election commissioner said that penalties for violating the code have been tripled from Tk 50,000 to Tk 150,000 alongside a six-month prison
term.
Furthermore, candidates and political parties must submit affidavits pledging to abide by the code, declared Abul Fazal.
鈥楾he campaign period will remain three weeks. We have outlined clear dos and don鈥檛s for social media, prohibited foreign-funded campaign activities, and introduced a sound limit of 60 decibels in line with international standards,鈥� he said.
According to the draft code, restrictions on campaign-related T-shirts and jackets have been slightly relaxed and the definition of arms has been expanded to include traditional weapons 鈥� if used to influence elections.
It also said that the candidates who would be holding positions of president or member in educational institution management committees must resign from the positions as teachers from such institutions are often required to serve as presiding or polling officers.
Regarding campaign materials, the code maintained existing provisions allowing only photographs of the party leader and the candidate on campaign items, with all non-digital materials required to be in black and white.
Abul Fazal said that the draft code would be published on the EC website, accompanied by a note stating that its final approval will depend on necessary amendments to the RPO and feedback from stakeholders.
He went on to say that the commission postponed discussions on the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies on the day due to time constraints and incomplete GIS data. The commissioner expected that the delimitation issue would be finalised by the end of the next week.
