Candidates continue to violate the electoral code of conduct

As electioneering intensifies across the country with polling day less than a week away, violations of the electoral code of conduct are also on the rise ahead of the 13th parliamentary election and referendum.

Although official campaigning began on 22 January and is scheduled to continue until 7:30am on 10 February, sources say breaches of the code have persisted since the election schedule was announced.

Under the newly introduced electoral code of conduct, all campaign materials are required to be in black and white. However, defying this rule, cities and rural areas alike have been inundated with colourful banners, posters and leaflets. Government buildings, electricity poles and even places of worship have not been spared.

Many candidates have set up campaign booths on footpaths, obstructing roads and disrupting pedestrian movement. Rallies blocking streets have also been reported, while some candidates are allegedly campaigning under the guise of religious gatherings and sermons.

During a visit to Mirpur-10 on Thursday, four large colourful banners erected by candidates of the Bangladesh Communist Party, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Bangladesh Jashod were seen on the road in front of Shah Ali Market.

Similar banners were spotted in Taltola, Mirpur-10, Mirpur-11, Mirpur-12, Shewrapara and Agargaon in the capital, as well as in several constituencies across the country.

Candidates have also been using megaphones indiscriminately for campaigning, in clear violation of the rules.

According to the electoral code of conduct, candidates or anyone acting on their behalf are prohibited from pasting or displaying leaflets, handbills or festoons on buildings, walls, trees, fences, electricity or telephone poles, government or authority-owned installations, or on vehicles such as buses, trucks, trains, steamers, launches, rickshaws, autorickshaws and legunas. However, this provision has frequently been ignored.

Moreover, Clause 15(b) of the Political Parties and Candidates’ Code of Conduct, 2025 explicitly bans electioneering at places of worship. Despite this, allegations have emerged from various areas that campaigns were centred around mosques, temples and other religious institutions.

‘Attitude must change’

National Consensus Commission member and Secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN) Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar said the commission should look into these violations, questioning why the Election Commission has failed to take stronger action.

“Candidates and political parties must adhere to these rules. There needs to be a change in their attitude,” he said, adding that the current situation is unacceptable.

Md Saiful Islam, member secretary of the Central Coordination Committee for the referendum and the 13th parliamentary election and director (operations) of the NID Wing, said 144 complaints have been lodged against various officials. Additionally, 201 complaints have been received over violations of the electoral code of conduct and other issues, bringing the total number of complaints to 344.

Analysts warn that continued violations of the code are contributing to a deterioration in the law and order situation, while rival political camps continue to issue conflicting statements.

Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said 300 Electoral Inquiry and Adjudication Committees, comprising 300 judges, are currently operating across the country, alongside mobile courts run by executive magistrates.

He said aggrieved parties can seek redress from the Electoral Inquiry and Adjudication Committees if the code of conduct is violated. He also noted that executive magistrates have already punished and fined offenders in numerous cases.

According to official data, between 8 January and 4 February, executive magistrates filed 212 cases over violations of the electoral code of conduct, collecting a total of Tk2,298,750 in fines.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Inquiry and Adjudication Committees disposed of 15 complaints through summary trials, imposing fines amounting to Tk105,500.

In the Sirajganj-4 (Ullapara) constituency, a mobile court on Wednesday fined two activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP for violating the code of conduct. Md Mazdar Hossain, secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami’s Hatikumrul Union unit, was fined Tk2,000, while Md Mehedi Hasan, former president of BNP’s Hatikumrul Union Jubo Dal, was fined Tk5,000. Colourful posters and banners were also removed during the operation.

In Shahrasti upazila of Chandpur, a mobile court fined four teachers Tk5,000 each for violating the code of conduct, while another teacher was released on a bond after being warned.

In Tetulia upazila of Panchagarh, a mobile court fined Habibur Rahman Habib, a representative of Sarjis Alam, the Shapla Koli candidate of the 11-party alliance in Panchagarh-1 constituency, Tk5,000 for using a microphone at a street meeting after 8pm.

The action was carried out in the presence of Sarjis Alam, Jamaat-e-Islami district ameer Iqbal Hossain, as well as members of the police administration and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

However, civil society representatives have questioned whether these penalties are adequate given the scale of violations. They argue that visible breaches at the grassroots level far exceed the actions taken, creating a culture of impunity where many candidates continue to flout the rules without fear of punishment.