Voters Barred from Using Mobile Phones Inside Booths: EC Sanaullah
Voters will not be allowed to use mobile phones inside the secret voting booths during the 13th National Parliamentary Election scheduled for February 12, Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazl Md Sanaullah has said.
He made the remarks at a press conference held on Tuesday afternoon, February 10, at the Election Commission Secretariat in Agargaon, Dhaka.
“Inside the secret booth of a polling centre—where the marking or sealing of ballots takes place—voters will not be allowed to use mobile phones. No one except the voter concerned will be allowed to enter the booth. Even the voter himself or herself will not be permitted to use a mobile phone inside,” the commissioner said.
He clarified the matter further, saying, “I want to make this absolutely clear, because mobile phones have now become an inseparable part of our bodies.”
Commissioner Sanaullah also explained that the earlier notification imposing restrictions on mobile phone use applies only to law enforcement personnel and election officials. On the other hand, journalists and election observers will continue to operate under the guidelines issued in July, which remain unchanged.
According to him, journalists will be allowed to enter polling centres with mobile phones and may even enter polling rooms to record videos and take photographs within the permitted timeframe. However, they will not be allowed to conduct interviews or broadcast live from inside the polling rooms.
DBTech/EK/NM
