To grant the Election Commission the authority to postpone, cancel, and re-hold elections.

Year
2025
Reform Domain
Electoral Process Electoral Process
Sub Domain
Powers 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-Dec-25
This reform proposal has been articulated in the Electoral Reform Commission Report but has yet to be officially initiated.
Reform Initiated
Reform Initiated
Last Update: 14-Dec-25
EC proposed RPO amendment that empowered them to cancel the vote of the entire area if there are widespread irregularities in any constituency.
Legal and Policy Framework
Legal and Policy Framework
Last Update: 14-Dec-25
The Government has published an updated RPO gazette, which is the official government document of election rules. It allows the Election Commission to void the vote in any constituency with widespread irregularities.
Observation
    Articles 91(a) and 91(aa) of the amended Representation of the People's Order (RPO) 2025 empower the Election Commission to:- "Stop elections at any polling station or an entire constituency at any stage if it believes the election cannot be conducted fairly and legally due to malpractices, coercion, intimidation, or acts of God."- "Withhold or cancel results from one or more polling stations if evidence shows the outcome was affected by malpractices. After inquiry, the Commission can order fresh polls for the affected stations or the entire constituency as it deems just."
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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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