Bangla Press Desk: The Election Commission (EC) published the draft “Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates 2025” on its website on Sunday.
The EC has sought public feedback on the draft, with a submission deadline set for 10 July.
Dewan Md Sarwar Jahan, deputy secretary of the EC’s Election Assistance Branch, issued a notice regarding the matter on Sunday.
According to the notice, the draft of the Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates 2025 has been prepared under the relevant section of the Representation of the People Order, 1972, and is subject to amendment by the competent authority.
In addition, the EC plans to implement broader reforms such as formal guidelines for online campaigning, and encouragement of sustainable alternatives like billboards in place of posters.
Penalties for violations
The proposed amendments include stricter penalties for breaches of the code:
(b) If a registered political party violates any rule, it may also face a fine of up to Tk150,000, up from the previous limit of Tk50,000.
(c) Violations of the social media campaign rules under Rule 13Ka(2) will be dealt with under the Digital Security Act or Cyber Security Act, whichever is applicable at the time.
Under Section 20, which outlines restrictions regarding election expenditure limits, the draft code introduces specific requirements:
(a) The registered political party, its nominated candidate, independent candidate, or any person acting on their behalf must submit all election-related social media expenses, including content creation, advertisements, boosting, and sponsorships, under the heading of overall election expenditure to the Election Commission.
(b) These social media expenses must be counted within the candidate’s official spending limit.
(c) The use of foreign-funded advertisements or promotional activities in social media campaigns is strictly prohibited.
(a) No candidate shall use more than three microphones or loudspeakers simultaneously in any electoral area.
(b) The sound level of microphones or any sound-amplifying devices used during campaigns must not exceed 60 decibels. This article was originally published on Daily Sun.
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