Staff Reporter :
Journalists who receive accreditation cards from the Election Commission (EC) should face no restrictions in entering polling centres, said Shipping Adviser Brigadier General (Retd) M Sakhawat Hussain, a former election commissioner (2007–2012), on Saturday.
“Based on my experience as an election commissioner, the cooperation of journalists is essential for free and fair elections. After accreditation, the EC should not limit journalists’ access to polling centres or restrict their time there,” he said.
He made the remarks at a discussion on the ‘EC’s 2025 Guideline for Journalists’, organised by the Broadcast Journalists Centre (BJC) and the Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy (RFED), in association with BBC Media Action, at The Daily Star Centre in Karwan Bazar.
RFED President Kazi Zebel criticised the guideline, saying, “We have rejected the EC’s draft — it is merely a copy of the previous commission’s policy.”
Adviser Sakhawat, also a PhD researcher on Bangladesh’s electoral process, emphasised that in today’s digital era, journalists are the EC’s key allies in ensuring credible elections.
“Being present at polling centres is essential to assess the voting process. That’s why journalists should not face time limits or access restrictions, though they must not enter secret voting booths,” he said.
He added that minor reforms to the policy may be needed, clarifying, “This is my personal view, not the governments. If the EC wants a free and fair election, it must operate transparently. Accreditation should grant full access to polling centres without barriers.”
Calling for dialogue, Sakhawat urged the EC to hold open discussions with journalists and allow live coverage. “Journalists are the eyes of the EC. Transparency is impossible without them. There is still time to make the process open and clear,” he said.
Reflecting on his tenure during the 2008 caretaker government, he recalled, “Journalists helped us reform the code of conduct and electoral rules. Their feedback was invaluable. While no election is flawless, the media plays a critical role in ensuring free, fair, and credible polls.”
