Dhaka 22 May (V7N)– The Election Commission (EC) has provisionally approved a revised code of conduct for political parties and candidates, alongside a new policy governing the establishment and management of polling stations, in preparation for the upcoming 13th National Parliament elections. The decisions were reached during the commission's fifth meeting, held on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at the Agargaon Election Building in the capital.

Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd) Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah confirmed the approval to reporters, stating, "We have held a meeting on the draft code of conduct and polling station establishment policy for political parties and candidates and the draft policy on polling station establishment and management in local government elections. Both issues were discussed in detail. All these drafts have been approved in principle with some amendments."

A significant amendment to the polling station policy involves the abolition of district committees previously responsible for determining polling station locations. These committees, which included Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs), had faced scrutiny regarding their impartiality and susceptibility to political influence. Under the new policy, the authority for polling station establishment will be brought directly under the purview of the Election Commission.

"Among the notable amendments," EC Sanaullah elaborated, "we have abolished the committee that was in the policy of setting up and managing polling stations for the national parliamentary elections. It has been brought under the commission."

Furthermore, the new policy explicitly removes all provisions related to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), as they will not be utilized in the upcoming elections. "Secondly, we have canceled the issues related to EVMs. Since there are no EVMs," Sanaullah added.

The proposed code of conduct introduces several new elements, including guidelines for election campaigning under the direct supervision of the EC, regulations concerning social media usage, and procedures for party and candidate certification.

While the drafts have received in-principle approval, Commissioner Sanaullah indicated that finalization would require further work by a dedicated committee. This committee will also incorporate recommendations and amendments from the Reform Commission before presenting the finalized documents to the EC.

The meeting, which commenced in the morning, focused on the "Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates, 2025," the "Policy of Setting Up and Managing Polling Stations for Parliamentary Elections-2025," and the "Policy of Setting Up and Managing Polling Stations for Local Government Elections-2025."

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