The Advisory Council has approved amendments to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), reinstating the provision for a “No” vote in elections.
The decision was made at a meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Thursday. Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul disclosed the information at a press conference later in the afternoon.
According to Dr Nazrul, the Council approved the amendment to the RPO, abolishing provisions related to the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs). The definitions of law enforcement agencies have been expanded to include the army, navy, and air force. A new clause has also been added, barring fugitives from contesting elections.
District election officers will now be responsible for managing district-level election offices. Candidates must disclose all sources of income and assets, both domestic and foreign. The Chief Adviser has instructed that these details be submitted to the Election Commission and published on its website for public access.
Dr Nazrul said the amount of the security deposit for candidates has been increased from Tk20,000 to Tk50,000. A provision for a “No” vote has also been reinstated.
“In elections where there is only one candidate—such as in 2014, when 154 candidates were elected uncontested—voters will now have the option to cast a ‘No’ vote. If the majority vote ‘No,’ a re-election will be held in that constituency,” he explained.
He added that political alliances participating in the election must contest under their respective party symbols so that voters clearly understand which party they represent. Officials and members of law enforcement agencies engaged in election duties, who previously could not vote, will now be able to cast their votes through postal ballots.
Journalists will be allowed to remain present at vote-counting centres. Furthermore, any political donation, contribution, or subscription exceeding Tk50,000 must be made through a banking channel, and the donor must submit a tax return.
Previously, the Election Commission could only cancel results from specific polling centres in cases of irregularities. Under the new amendment, if the commission determines that widespread irregularities occurred across an entire constituency, it will have the authority to annul results for the entire area.