EC to introduce QR-coded press cards

Staff Reporter :

The Election Commission is rolling out QR-coded press cards to prevent fake journalists from entering polling areas during the upcoming 13th national parliamentary poll.

Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd) Abul Fazl Md. Sanaullah announced the move on Wednesday at a training workshop for journalists held at the Electoral Training Institute (ETI) in Agargaon in the capital.

He said the QR system is being introduced to ensure strict verification so that no one can misuse a press card to gain unauthorised access in the election.

According to him, the country’s electoral system has been severely damaged over the years, and the current EC is working to rebuild and restore it.

This effort, he noted, cannot be carried out by the commission alone; political parties, voters, the media, and all relevant institutions must play their part.

Sanaullah shared findings from the EC’s mock voting exercise, which showed that a voter takes an average of 3 minutes and 52 seconds to cast a ballot.

“Voters who do not read the ballot for the Referendum finish in about two minutes, while those who take time to read it require seven to eight minutes,” he said.

“Since there is no option to increase the number of polling centres or booths,” he said, “the commission is focusing on making the voting process smarter and more efficient. A final decision on management steps will be taken at Sunday’s commission meeting.”

He emphasised the media’s crucial role in ensuring a transparent election. The EC will revise the media guidelines in line with journalists’ recommendations and ensure they can work freely at polling stations, conduct interviews, and observe the process. However, entry into voting booths will remain restricted for operational reasons.

Speaking at the event, Senior Secretary of the Election Commission Akhtar Ahmed said the aim is to deliver “the best election of the century.”

On the upcoming referendum, he explained that voters will have to evaluate the entire package of proposals collectively, rather than individually, and the media should play an active role in informing the public.

The workshop was presided over by ETI Director General Mohammad Hasanuzzaman, with senior EC officials in attendance.