TIB demands Election Commission to revoke circular obstructing journalists

Staff Reporter  :
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has called for the revocation of the Election Commission’s code of conduct for journalists, which prohibits them from using motorcycles and obstructs them to perform other activities to cover news during elections.
The Election Commission is trying to push for embedded journalism through the code of conduct for journalists, TIB said in a press release on Thursday.
The code of conduct that prohibits the use of motorcycles by journalists, staying in a polling booth for more than 10 minutes, and any direct broadcasting from the polling booths will create obstacles for journalists in the context of holding free, fair, impartial and acceptable election.
According to TIB, the provision allowing journalists to gather voting information, capture photos and videos after informing the Presiding Officer, and receive cards from the Returning Officer based on their discretion is a veiled attempt at promoting embedded journalism.
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, “While the Election Commission has always emphasised the importance of the media as the “eyes and ears” of free and fair elections, the recent circular by the Commission have confirmed that the constitutional body only seeks to make itself popular and appealing to the public, while also restricting the work of journalists in the field”.
For local journalists, the use of motorcycles is essential in fulfilling their duties, as many areas cannot be reached by car or other means of transportation. In addition, in many cases it is not possible to rent a car in the area, making it difficult for journalists to carry out their work, especially on election day, he said.
Dr. Iftekharuzzaman stated that it is not clear why needs additional permission from the Presiding Officer at the polling station after providing the card allowing journalists to cover the election.
The Election Commission’s long list of regulations and prohibitions regarding election coverage is making the country’s election system and democracy weak and fragile, TIB said.
Against such context, TIB demanded the cancellation of the circular and urged the Commission for comprehensive guidelines after consultation with the journalists and the global practice.