Candidates can send SMS to the mobile phones of the voters following the code of conduct for the upcoming 12th National Assembly Elections. Party symbol or party name can also be used. At the same time, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said that if the candidate is elected, he will be able to send an SMS stating what steps he will take for the people in his area.
On Thursday (December 21), this information was conveyed in a notification signed by Deputy Director of BTRC Asif Wahid. This opportunity has been given by amending paragraph 18.5 of the previous directive.
According to the notification, any candidate participating in the national or local elections of Bangladesh can send SMS to seek votes by mentioning the party or person and symbol in accordance with the electoral code of conduct. If the candidate is elected, he can send SMS mentioning what steps he will take for the people in his area.
The candidates have now a days been busy campaigning since the allotment of symbols on December 18. They are going door to door for seeking votes for them. They are also making various promises of development if elected. Apart from this, the candidates are also active through digital channels. In addition to Facebook, they also want to send short messages to voters through mobile phones.
Mobile operators say that candidates have already contacted them to avail the service. They are also ready to serve.
Earlier there was a directive of BTRC about sending SMS on behalf of candidate on mobile in any election. Mobile operators cannot send any SMS to subscribers using party symbols or party names. BTRC revised the instructions and issued a notification.
According to the schedule, candidates can campaign till 8 am on January 5. Voting will be held on January 7. After the verification and settlement of appeals, the Election Commission (EC) said on December 17 that a total of 1,896 candidates from 27 political parties have been contesting the election.
