The Election Commission (EC) has published a gazette on the electoral code of conduct for political parties and candidates ahead of the upcoming 13th national elections.
According to the code of conduct, political parties and candidates won’t be allowed to use posters in an election campaign, while announcement of the election manifesto in a single platform and giving an undertaking to follow the code of conduct have been made mandatory for parties and candidates.
In case of violation of the code of conduct, there is a provision of a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and a fine of Taka1,50,000 for candidates and Tk1,50,000 for the party. There is also a provision for cancellation of candidacy in the Representation of the People Order (RPO) for violation of any provision of the code of conduct.
Besides, the use of drones in election campaigns and campaigning abroad is also been prohibited. A candidate cannot use more than 20 billboards in the respective parliamentary constituency as per the code of conduct.
Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat, Akhtar Ahmed, signed the gazette titled “Political Parties and Candidates’ Code of Conduct, 2025”, which was published on Monday night.
The code of conduct outlines what can and cannot be done, including imposing strict restrictions on election campaigns on social media, prohibiting the use of AI for malicious purposes, and banning the use of posters and drones.
Election campaigning through social media
The code of conduct notes that a candidate or his/her election agents or any other person on behalf of the candidate may conduct election campaigning using social media. In this case, the name, account ID, e-mail ID, and other identifying information of the candidate or his/her election agents or party or candidate related to the social media must be submitted to the returning officer before the campaign begins.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) cannot be used for ill purposes in any matter related to the elections, including the campaigning.
All kinds of harmful content, including hate speech, misinformation, distortion of someone’s face and fabricated information related to the elections, cannot be created and disseminated.
Hate speech, personal attacks, or provocative language targeting opponents, women, minorities, or any other community cannot be used. Religious or ethnic sentiments cannot be misused to gain electoral interests.
All election-related content must be examined before sharing and publishing it on social media. No political party, candidate or other person or on behalf of a candidate can create, publish, disseminate or share any false, misleading, biased, hateful, obscene, offensive or defamatory content, whether in general or by editing or through artificial intelligence (AI) in a bid to misleading voters or character assassination or defaming any candidate or person, regardless of gender. A new clause has been added to the RPO to prevent rumours and AI misuse.
The code of conduct, however, states that no party or candidate will be able to hold public meetings, street meetings, or any campaign abroad ahead of the election.
Posters will not be used in election campaigning. A candidate will not be allowed to use more than 20 billboards in his parliamentary constituency, and the length of the billboards will be a maximum of 16 feet, and the width will be nine feet.
No drones, quadcopters or similar devices will be allowed to be used on Election Day and during the campaigning.
Any candidate or organization on behalf of candidates can distribute voter slips, but the name, picture, post name and symbol cannot be mentioned in the slips.
Only digital billboards can use lights. Electricity can be used. Moreover, lighting has been banned. Banners, festoons, and leaflets cannot be covered with polythene and plastic (PVC) banners will not be allowed. Emphasis has been given on using environment-friendly materials in campaigning; while a ban on the use of polythene and rexine cloth in campaigning has been imposed. The noise level during the campaigning must be kept at 60 decibels.
Candidates and parties must give an undertaking to comply with the code of conduct.
Undertaking by political parties
Political parties must submit an undertaking to the Election Commission at the time of filing their nomination papers, as per the format mentioned in Schedule-1, pledging that they will abide by all the provisions of this Code of Conduct.
If any person is declared as a candidate, he/she shall have to undertake as per the sample mentioned in Schedule-2, vowing that he will abide by all the provisions of these Rules and if any provision of these Rules is violated by him/her or any of his associates, he/she shall be liable to the punishment provided under the existing law or the provisions of these rules.
Scopes have been provided for media dialogue and for all candidates to announce their manifestos on one platform. The returning officer will arrange an event so that all the candidates in the respective constituency can read their manifestos and declarations on the same day.
Cancellation of candidature
The code of conduct states: “If it appears to the Commission from any record or written report received from any source that any candidate or his/her election agent has violated or attempted to violate any provision of these rules and that such violation or attempted violation may disqualify one from being elected, the Commission may order an immediate probe into the matter.”
If, after receiving the probe report, the Commission is satisfied that any candidate or his/her election agents or any other person, organization or institution acting on his/her instructions or on his behalf with his/her direct or indirect consent has violated or attempted to violate any provision of these rules for which he/she may be disqualified from being elected, the Commission may, by an order in writing, immediately cancel the candidature of such contesting candidate in accordance with the provision of Article 91 of the RPO.
