No more free pass for MPs!
Staff Reporter :
The Election Commission (EC) has drafted the Representation of the People Order (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, proposing a series of significant changes to the country’s electoral framework, ahead of the 13th parliamentary elections expected in early February 2026.
Among the proposed measures are the introduction of a ‘No Vote’ option to prevent uncontested elections, the formal inclusion of the armed forces as a law enforcement agency during polls, and a restriction limiting candidates to contesting in no more than two constituencies.
The draft also strengthens the EC’s authority to suspend voting or annul an elected candidate’s victory if inconsistencies or false information are found in their affidavit or statements of income and expenditure, even after elections. Officials from government departments would be obliged to comply with EC directives, and failure to do so could result in punitive action recorded in personnel files.
“Almost all aspects of the draft RPO have been finalised, with the only remaining review concerning expatriate voters,” Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud told UNB. “It will soon be sent to the law ministry for promulgation as an ordinance.”
The amendments restore powers removed in previous terms, including the ability for presiding officers to halt polling if ballot boxes are tampered with or voting is disrupted beyond control, without waiting for law enforcement intervention. Candidates will also be required to disclose the assets and income sources of themselves and their dependents.
The draft reinstates a provision from 2008 for a ‘No Vote’ option: if only one candidate remains after scrutiny or withdrawal, voters may select ‘No Vote.’ Should this option receive the majority, a fresh election schedule will be announced.
The ordinance also encourages greater transparency and collaboration among candidates, including platform presentations of manifestos following the allocation of electoral symbols and pledges to adhere to the election code of conduct.
The EC has also included the Bangladesh Army, Navy, and Air Force among recognised law enforcement agencies, restoring powers curtailed in the aftermath of the 2008 elections when armed forces had been deployed only as striking units.
Preparations for the upcoming polls are underway nationwide, with the EC emphasising its enhanced authority to ensure free, fair, and orderly elections.