The Election Commission (EC) has issued a new directive prohibiting anyone from bringing mobile phones into polling centres, with exceptions for only three categories of personnel.
The directive, issued on Sunday (February 8) by EC Senior Assistant Secretary Md Shahidul Islam, states that during the election and referendum, no one will be allowed to carry a mobile phone within a 400-yard radius of a polling centre except for the presiding officer in charge, the police officer on duty, and two Ansar members (including embedded/general Ansar or VDP) using the “Election Security 2026” application.
Most journalists rely on mobile phones for photography and recording on voting days, which means they could face difficulties due to the new restriction. This is the first time the EC has issued such a directive restricting phone usage at polling stations.