No mobile phones allowed within 400 yards of polling centres on election day: EC

The Election Commission (EC) has imposed a strict ban on carrying mobile phones into polling centres during the upcoming referendum and the 13th national parliamentary election, scheduled for 12 February.

The directive was issued on Sunday by the EC's Senior Assistant Secretary Md Shahidul Islam, who instructed returning officers across the country to ensure the ban is enforced.

No such ban was imposed in any past election and the move has garnered sharp reaction from citizens.

According to the order, no individual will be allowed to enter a polling centre or remain within a 400-yard radius of it with a mobile phone. The restriction will apply to voters, polling agents and all others present on election duty, with limited exceptions.

Are mobile phones banned at polling stations across South Asia?

Only the presiding officer of the polling centre, the officer-in-charge of the police assigned to the centre, and two authorised Ansar members using the "Election Security 2026" mobile application will be permitted to carry mobile phones within the restricted area. These Ansar members will be selected from among the attached Ansar, general Ansar or VDP personnel responsible for election security.

Voting in the 13th national election will be held on Thursday (12 February). Balloting will take place uninterrupted from 7:30am to 4:30pm.

This time, there are more than 42,000 polling centres across 64 districts, with nearly 250,000 polling booths in total.

Voting will be held in 299 of the 300 parliamentary seats on 12 February as polls will not take place in Sherpur-3 due to the death of a candidate. A total of 51 parties registered with the Election Commission are contesting in this election.