EC to Grant Media Passes to 3,818 Media Outlets, Including 263 Online News Portals
The Election Commission (EC) will issue voting passes not only to print and electronic media but also to registered online portals, enabling them to cover the upcoming national referendum and parliamentary elections. This year, nearly 3,818 media outlets will receive official approval to report on election news.
The EC’s Public Relations Wing announced the information on Monday, January 26. According to the commission’s list, 263 online news portals, 61 regional online media outlets, 129 online portals of daily newspapers, and 18 online portals of TV channels will be granted accreditation.
Additionally, 1,397 daily newspapers, 3 bi-weeklies, 1,231 weeklies, 215 fortnightlies, 451 monthlies, 9 bi-monthlies, 37 quarterlies, 1 tri-quarterly, 2 semiannuals, and 2 annual publications are included, bringing the total number of newspapers to 3,347. Among these, 1,422 are published in Dhaka, while 1,935 are circulated outside the capital.
Altogether, the Election Commission will provide voting passes to 3,818 media organizations. EC officials stated that journalists and staff of all government-approved media houses will receive journalist identification cards and vehicle stickers from the commission. Media houses have been asked to apply by February 3.
Applications for journalist IDs and vehicle stickers can be submitted through the designated portal. Approved applicants will be able to download and print their ID cards and stickers embedded with QR codes for security verification. Detailed instructions will be communicated through official letters.
Under Article 84(a) of the Representation of the People Order, any individual who obstructs, attempts to obstruct, or causes physical harm to an EC-approved journalist or representative engaged in election reporting, or damages equipment used by them, will be punishable under the law if found guilty.
According to the Election Coverage Guidelines for Journalists/Media Personnel–2025, law enforcement officials assigned to polling stations will fully cooperate with accredited media within a 400-yard radius of polling centers to ensure safe and effective election reporting.
The national referendum and parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place on February 12.
DBTech/IK/CM/OR
