The government has issued the Representation of the People (Amendment) Ordinance-2025, stipulating that the president of a managing committee of an educational institution will not be eligible to contest the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. The Ministry of Law published the ordinance in the official gazette on Monday (November 3).
With the issuance of the RPO amendment, several new provisions have been introduced. A court-declared fugitive will not be allowed to vote. For the first time in one and a half decades, the armed forces have been included in the definition of law enforcement. The “No” vote option will return in single-candidate constituencies, and in case of a tie, a re-poll will be held. Even in alliances, votes must be cast for candidates under their own party symbols. The deposit amount has been set at 50,000 Taka, and if a party violates the code of conduct, the maximum fine will be 150,000 Taka.
The postal voting system will now be supported through IT. In cases of irregularities, votes in the entire constituency can be canceled. Misuse of AI will be considered an electoral offense, and if false information is provided in affidavits rendering a candidate ineligible, the Election Commission can take action even after the election.