No Mobile Ban for Media on Polling Day: EC Commissioner
Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd.) Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah has said there is no restriction on journalists and election observers carrying mobile phones into polling centres on election day.
He made the statement on Monday afternoon, February 9, while speaking to journalists during a visit to election booths.
EC Commissioner Sanaullah said journalists and observers would not face any difficulties if they enter polling centres with mobile phones.
Earlier, a letter signed by Senior Assistant Secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat Md. Shahidul Islam on Sunday imposed a ban on carrying and using mobile phones within a 400-yard radius of polling centres. The directive stated that only presiding officers, concerned police officers, and two designated Ansar members (for app-related purposes) would be allowed to use mobile phones.
As the directive did not allow candidates and journalists to use mobile phones, it triggered widespread concern and strong reactions within the journalist community.
Following criticism from media professionals, the Election Commission stepped back from its earlier position.
Reassuring journalists, EC Commissioner Sanaullah said the restriction on carrying mobile phones would be relaxed in the case of journalists, and a new notification on the matter would be issued soon.
DBTech/DTF/H/OR
