The election commission on Thursday said that it would review and, if needed, amend the guidelines for journalists as their cooperation was crucial for transparent elections.
The assurance came at a views-exchange meeting between the election commission and the Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy.
During the meeting, journalists covering election news demanded a revision of the 鈥楪uidelines for journalists/media personnel assigned to cover election news 2025,鈥� which the EC issued last July ahead of the 13th parliamentary election scheduled for early February 2026.
Speaking at the event, election commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said that cooperation from journalists was crucial for ensuring transparent elections.
鈥榃e all want a transparent election. For this, your [journalists] cooperation is extremely important. No wrongdoing will be patronised. We may make mistakes, but we will not tolerate any injustice. So, we seek your cooperation,鈥� he said.
Talking about the written demands placed by the RFED, Rahmanel Masud said that those demands for changes in the guidelines would be reviewed. 鈥榃e鈥檒l do whatever is best for both sides, for the people, and for holding a fair and transparent election.鈥�
EC Masud said that he would take steps in the best interest of journalists, the election commission, the people, and to ensure free and fair elections after reviewing the proposed amendments to the media code of conducts.
EC Md Anwarul Islam Sarker acknowledged the trust deficit surrounding elections, saying that the real problem was that none was in a position of trust.
鈥楾he crisis of trust is our national crisis. I cannot say in isolation that someone is bad and I am good. And you cannot say that I am bad and you are good. In this situation, the first thing our election commission is saying is that trust must be restored,鈥� he said.
鈥榃e should cooperate with each other so that we can hold a good election.... since the main objective is the same for all of us. I think that these can be resolved later through discussion,鈥� he said.
Two other election commissioners Tahmina Ahmad and Brigadier General (retired) Abdul Fazal Md Sanaullah and EC senior secretary Akhtar Ahmed also spoke.
RFED president Kazi Emad Uddin Jebel made a presentation over proposed guidelines desired by the journalists and handed over it to the EC in the function moderated by RFED general secretary Golam Rabbani.
