If a contesting political party is aggrieved by the Commission’s certification of an election to be free, fair and credible, it will have 48 hours to lodge a complaint with the National Constitutional Council (NCC) or the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. The Council or the Court to settle the complaint within 7 working days.

Year
2025
Reform Domain
Electoral Process Electoral Process
Sub Domain
Responsibilities of the Election Commission
Source of Reform Proposals
Electoral Reform Commission
Reform Proposed
Reform Proposed
Reform Initiated
Reform Initiated
Legal and Policy Framework
Legal and Policy Framework
Operationalisation
Operationalisation
Action Implementation
Action Implementation
Stage of Implementation
Reform Proposed
Reform Proposed
Last Update: 14-Feb-26
This reform proposal has been articulated in the Electoral Reform Commission Report, but has yet to be officially initiated.
Observation
    The Election Commission published the gazette of the results of the Thirteenth National Parliamentary Election on 13 February 2026. However, the Election Commission did not issue any separate public declaration certifying the integrity, credibility, and acceptability of the election, as was envisaged in this reform proposal.
    After the publication of the gazette, aggrieved candidates have begun seeking remedies through court-based processes under the existing legal framework. According to available information, a total of 41 defeated candidates (25 from BNP, 13 from Jamaat, 2 from allied parties, and 1 independent) have filed writ petitions before the High Court’s election tribunal alleging electoral irregularities. Following preliminary hearings, the court has ordered the preservation of important electoral materials, including ballot papers, result sheets, and CCTV footage, related to the concerned constituencies.
    Under the law, candidates have the opportunity to file cases within 30 days of the publication of the gazette, and these applications have been submitted within that prescribed timeframe. As part of the subsequent process, notices have been issued, and the main hearings are expected to begin in phases from April 2026 (after 19 April); in some cases, timelines have been set extending into May and June 2026.
    This indicates that, instead of the proposed reform, post-gazette dispute resolution remains confined within the existing tribunal- and court-based legal framework.
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Related Reforms

(a) Election expenditure to be capped at BDT 10 per voter per parliamentary constituency.
(b) All election expenses to be processed through banking systems or financial technology platforms (e.g., Bkash, Rocket).
(c) To maintain close oversight on election expenditures of candidates and political parties, the Election Commission to set up ‘election expenditure monitoring committees’ at the constituency levels.
(d) Election expenditures filed by candidates and political parties to be subjected to auditing, the candidates’ election to be annulled in case of discrepancies.
(e) All election related expenses of the Election Commission to be a charge on the consolidated budget of the Republic.
Operationalisation
(a) To allow stationary observation, so that observers may remain at the centre throughout the day, but not inside the polling booth continuously. (b) Official permission to be granted to observer organisations for pre-election observation. (c) Fake and biased observers to be banned. (d) Appointment of individual observers is to be allowed. (e) Election observation reports are to be used to improve future elections. (f) To make the steps from the beginning to the end of appointing international observers clear for the concerned organisations. To appoint observers according to the decision of the Commission instead of the government. (g) Journalists with valid election commission-issued cards are to be allowed to enter polling stations to document irregularities, and they are to be allowed to use motorcycles on election day.
Operationalisation
(a) The proposed Election Commission Act to have provisions to ensure that offenses or irregularities committed by the Election Commission to be brought to justice. (b) By amending the relevant law, to retain the provision requiring the Commission’s permission to file cases against government officers and employees, and to remove the legal barriers to conducting an investigation or inquiry in this regard. (c) To relax the prescribed time limit for filing cases under sections 73 and 74, in section 90 of the Representation of the People Order, 1972. (d) A time limit to be set for the disposal of electoral offense cases to expedite the length of adjudication and ensure timely justice.
Reform Proposed
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Glossary

Last Updated: 14th December 2025

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