Individuals convicted of offenses involving moral turpitude, as per Article 66 (2)(d) of the Constitution, to be disqualified as candidate in parliamentary elections starting from the date of their conviction.

Year
2025
Reform Domain
Electoral Process Electoral Process
Sub Domain
Eligibilities and Ineligibilities of Candidates
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
This reform proposal has been articulated in the Electoral Reform Commission Report but has yet to be officially initiated
Observation
    The existing RPO provision 12(1)(d) remains the same. It says that anyone who has been convicted of a moral-turpitude criminal offense and sentenced to at least two years in prison cannot run for Parliament until five years have passed after their release. Under the current rule, a person is not disqualified unless the sentence is confirmed. There have also been cases where candidates convicted in a lower court were still able to contest elections by appealing to a higher court. This reform is needed to prevent those facing charges for crimes against humanity in 2024 from contesting the election and to avoid waiting until a final conviction.
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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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Last Updated: 14th December 2025

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