The election schedule to be re-adjusted for allocating longer time period for scrutinising affidavits, completing the appeal process and finalising the candidature, and less time for campaigning to reduce candidates’ election expenses.

Year
2025
Reform Domain
Electoral Process Electoral Process
Sub Domain
Nomination Papers
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-Dec-25
The election schedule to be re-adjusted for allocating longer time period for scrutinising affidavits, completing the appeal process and finalising the candidature, and less time for campaigning to reduce candidates' election expenses.
Reform Initiated
Reform Initiated
Last Update: 14-Dec-25
EC will convene stakeholder consultations to review the current election calendar.
Legal and Policy Framework
Legal and Policy Framework
Last Update: 14-Dec-25
Election Schedule Rules will be amended to extend scrutiny and appeal periods.
Operationalisation
Operationalisation
Last Update: 22-Dec-25
The election schedule has clearly specified the deadlines for election activities.
Observation
    The election schedule was announced on 11 December 2025 and was subsequently revised on 21 December 2025. The revision affected the appeal-related timelines: the period for filing appeals against scrutiny decisions was shortened from 5–11 January to 5–9 January, while the disposal of appeals was advanced to begin earlier, from 10 January instead of 12 January, continuing until 18 January. In comparison to the 12th National Election, the timeframe for the review of affidavits has been extended from four days to six days, indicating partial alignment with the proposed reforms and providing the Election Commission with a marginally longer duration for scrutiny. However, contrary to the reform proposal advocating a reduction in the campaigning period, the revised schedule allows an additional day for campaigning, increasing the total campaign duration from 19 days to 20 days.
Resources
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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., Bikash, 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 iled 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.
Legal and Policy Framework
(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 organizations for pre-election observation. (c) Fake and biased observers to be banned. (d) Appointment of individual observers to be allowed. (e) Election observation reports 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 organizations. To appoint observers according to the decision of the Commission instead of the government. (g) Journalist with valid election commission-issued cards to be allowed to enter polling stations to document irregularities, and they 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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