Dhaka, Dec 17 (V7N) — Election Commission (EC) Secretary Akhtar Ahmed has said that there is currently no conflict between the code of conduct and candidates possessing weapons in the upcoming elections. He added that if necessary, the code of conduct could be amended, though the matter has not yet been discussed with the Home Ministry.

He made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the Election Commission building in Agargaon on Wednesday afternoon.

Regarding election observation, the EC Secretary said an agreement has been reached with the EU Foreign Ministry. A delegation, led by Ivers Ijabs, will visit Bangladesh, with 175 to 200 observers expected to attend. He noted that the observer team would be provided facilities according to the tripartite agreement, but must follow protocol and may bring certain equipment with them.

The comments came days after the government issued a policy on firearm licenses for politically important individuals and candidates for National Assembly seats, following the shooting incident involving Osman Hadi.

According to the new policy, eligible individuals include politically important persons recognized by the government, candidates who have submitted nomination papers, and persons at verified security risk, provided they have physical and mental capacity and a secure system for storing weapons. The policy also allows for relaxation of personal income tax requirements in such cases.

END/SMA/AJ