"Preparing the code of conduct is not the main challenge; compliance is what matters. We hope the parties will play their expected role in adhering to it."

CEC AMM Nasir Uddin

Major political parties yesterday urged the Election Commission to assert its constitutional authority, remain free of government influence, and clarify the electoral code of conduct.

The appeal came during the EC's ongoing dialogue with political parties at its Agargaon office ahead of the national election planned for early February.

The BNP pressed for greater institutional neutrality, proposing that returning and assistant returning officers be appointed from within the EC rather than the civil administration.

Jamaat-e-Islami questioned recent transfers in the local administration and police, while the newly registered National Citizen Party (NCP) reiterated its demand that candidates use only their own party symbols, even when contesting under alliance banners. Some other parties urged the EC to scrap this provision.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said many recommendations from the Electoral Reform Commission had already been incorporated into the code of conduct and the Representation of the People Order.

"Preparing the code of conduct is not the main challenge; compliance is what matters. We hope the parties will play their expected role in adhering to it," he said.

The CEC urged parties to cooperate in raising voter turnout. "We seek everyone's cooperation. With your advice, we hope to move forward smoothly."

Thirteen parties, including BNP, Jamaat and NCP, took part in yesterday's talks. Since November 13, 47 registered parties have joined the discussions.

BNP Standing Committee Member Abdul Moyeen Khan said his party and like-minded groups had worked with a single purpose -- to restore democracy through free and fair elections.

He argued that adding too many rules complicates the process. "The more rules and regulations you add, the more complicated things become. Keep it simple."

Referring to the signing of an undertaking by each party that they would abide by the electoral code of conduct, he said the undertakings would be meaningless unless parties restrained their own behaviour. "If an undertaking is violated, what will happen? How will it be enforced?"

He said the BNP had stated clearly that "religion must not be used as a tool in politics".

"This would bring a qualitative change in Bangladesh's politics,"

Proposing the appointment of returning officers from the EC instead of the civil administration, he said such a step "would bring a qualitative change in Bangladesh's politics".

He alleged that deputy commissioners, police superintendents, UNOs and OCs had in the past been controlled from the Prime Minister's Office during elections. "We must move away from this system… Please, for once, exert your authority. You must demonstrate that you are not subservient to the government."

Past elections, Moyeen said, were not free and fair because the EC "bowed to the government".

Mahdi Amin, adviser to BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman, urged the EC to establish a fact-checking cell to curb online misinformation. He proposed a central unit of the cell at the EC and decentralised units at the upazila level, along with clear timeframes for reviewing complaints related to misinformation and disinformation.

Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar and Assistant Secretary General AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad questioned the recent series of administrative reshuffles.

To build trust, Jamaat proposed lottery-based transfers of DCs and SPs.

Porwar said, "It hasn't even been a month, not even 20 days, and suddenly a deputy commissioner was transferred. Within a week, many others were reshuffled. It appears this is being done with a particular design or purpose."

He also asked the EC to clarify how expatriates would vote in the referendum. The Jamaat leader proposed allowing expats to register using either passports or NIDs.

Terming the three-loudspeaker limit impractical for large constituencies, he sought revisions to the rule.

On polling-day security, he demanded at least five army personnel at every centre.

Porwar further said the code of conduct requires parties and candidates to sign undertakings, but does not specify where parties should submit theirs, while nominations are filed locally.

Jamaat leader Shishir Monir noted that although the code of conduct prescribes penalties of up to six months' imprisonment or Tk 1 lakh, or both, it does not clarify which authority will enforce these sanctions. He also called for a specific timeframe for resolving pre-election irregularities.

NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari urged the EC to immediately begin the referendum process, as it is planned to be held along with the election.

He insisted that alliance candidates must use their own party symbols. "Borrowing another party's symbol will not be allowed. Even if candidates are part of an alliance, they must contest under their own symbol."

He said the NCP would fully cooperate with the EC if it maintained institutional independence and upheld its accountability to the constitution rather than to any party.

NCP Senior Joint Member Secretary Tasnim Jara demanded an extension of the December 23 deadline for expatriates to register for postal balloting.

She proposed visible 24/7 helplines or email support for the expats during the registration and voting process, with specified response times for queries or complaints. She suggested allowing expats to register using either passports or NIDs.

She also called for a dedicated social media monitoring cell and a multi-channel reporting system, alongside collaboration with platforms such as Meta and TikTok, to ensure rapid takedown of harmful content.

NCP Joint Member Secretary Jahirul Islam argued that the BNP should not be allowed to use the portrait of Tarique Rahman in campaign materials, since Khaleda Zia remains the party chairperson.

Several parties, including Ganosamhati Andolan led by Zonayed Saki, said alliance partners should be allowed to contest using the symbols of other parties within the alliance.

Saki and Gono Odhikar Parishad General Secretary Rashed Khan also criticised the EC for amending the RPO and the code of conduct before consulting stakeholders.

Participants also asked how the EC planned to organise the referendum and raise awareness about its voting procedure.

The CEC said clarity would come once an ordinance on the referendum is issued, as it would outline the process in full.