Hasnat Abdullah Demands Withdrawal of Mobile Phone Ban Near Polling Centers

PNN News Desk | Dhaka

Hasnat Abdullah, Chief Organizer (South) of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has termed the Election Commission’s decision to ban mobile phones within 400 yards of polling centers as hasty and questionable. He said the decision creates doubts about election transparency and should be withdrawn immediately.

In a statement posted on his verified Facebook page at 11:25 a.m. on Monday, Hasnat Abdullah said banning mobile phones near polling centers means voters would have to leave their phones at home, completely shutting down mobile journalism and citizen reporting. According to him, such decisions are taken when there is fear of election manipulation.

Hasnat Abdullah is a candidate of the 11-party electoral alliance in the Cumilla-4 constituency for the 13th National Parliamentary Election. His statement was later shared at 12:38 p.m. by NCP’s Chief Organizer (North), Sarjis Alam, who is contesting from Panchagarh-1.

Earlier, in a notification issued on Sunday, the Election Commission announced that voters would not be allowed to carry mobile phones inside polling centers or within a 400-yard radius during the election and referendum.

Criticizing the decision, Hasnat Abdullah said he sees no logical reason for banning mobile phones near polling centers. He warned that people would be unable to contact others during emergencies, which could discourage voter participation due to safety concerns.

He also said that while CCTV cameras may be present, they are not effective in preventing irregularities in real time. Journalists and ordinary citizens using mobile phones to record and instantly publish evidence of irregularities play a vital role in ensuring transparency. He described personal mobile phones as an effective tool to prevent center capture and vote rigging.

Hasnat Abdullah alleged that the Election Commission imposed the ban to prevent recording of election irregularities, effectively opening the door to vote manipulation. He emphasized that if the decision is not withdrawn immediately, public distrust in the election process will deepen.

The 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum are scheduled for Thursday, February 12. Voting will take place simultaneously in 299 constituencies from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. using transparent ballot boxes.