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Rohingya crisis

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  PM seeks OIC support to resolve Rohingya crisis Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today sought support from member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to help resolve the Rohingya crisis. He made the appeal when ambassadors and high commissioners of OIC member countries stationed in Dhaka paid a courtesy call on him at his Cabinet Division office at the Bangladesh Secretariat this afternoon, according to Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony. During the meeting, the envoys congratulated Tarique Rahman on assuming office as Prime Minister. The OIC member states also reaffirmed their strong commitment to standing beside Bangladesh and strengthening bilateral cooperation in several sectors, including investment, trade, education, healthcare, textiles, and the pharmaceutical industry. Rony said the Prime Minister welcomed their remarks and, on behalf of the government and the people of Bangladesh, thanked the OIC countries for their continued support. T...
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Mobile Phones Allowed at Polling Centres

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Mobile Phones Allowed at Polling Centres, Photos Barred Inside Voting Booths: EC

The Election Commission (EC) has clarified that voters, candidates and their agents will be allowed to carry mobile phones into polling centres, but taking photographs inside voting booths will be strictly prohibited.

Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat Akhtar Ahmed said confusion arose over a restriction on carrying mobile phones within a 400-yard radius of polling centres. “We are correcting this. Voters will be allowed to enter with mobile phones, as will candidates and their agents. However, they will not be allowed to take photos inside the voting booth,” he said.

He acknowledged that the commission had failed to clearly communicate its earlier position, leading to widespread misunderstanding. “We are revising this circular so that there is no confusion,” he added.

Akhtar Ahmed made the remarks on Monday evening during a press briefing at the Election Commission building in Agargaon, Dhaka.

On Sunday, an EC press release had stated that mobile phones would not be allowed within a 400-yard radius of polling centres, triggering strong reactions. National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam had even threatened to surround the EC if the decision was not reversed by Monday evening.

Later, the EC secretary further clarified that while voters, candidates, journalists and election observers may carry mobile phones into polling centres, polling agents, polling officers and assistant presiding officers will not be allowed to do so. “I am confirming that journalists and observers will be able to take mobile phones inside,” he said.

He also informed that 540 foreign observers and journalists have so far arrived in Bangladesh in connection with the election. Of them, 60 are representatives of democratic institutions and organisations from various countries invited by the Election Commission. Another 330 have come from international election observation organisations, while around 150 journalists represent 45 international media outlets. All are currently staying at a hotel in the capital.

Responding to questions about vote counting and possible delays, the EC secretary said there was no valid reason for delaying the announcement of election results. “Counting will take as long as required to count all the ballots cast,” he said, adding that there was no concern the process would stretch to three to five days.

He also noted that, following court orders, the EC had corrected ballots in the Faridpur-1 constituency and reprinted ballots in several other constituencies in line with judicial directives.

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