Staff Reporter:
Independent candidate for the Dhaka-9 constituency Dr Tasnim Jara has alleged that the Election Commission’s decision to ban mobile phones is effectively creating opportunities for irregularities in the electoral process.
In a Facebook post on Monday afternoon, she wrote that the sudden decision to ban mobile phones within 400 yards of polling stations is unreasonable, anti-people and contrary to fair elections. She demanded the immediate withdrawal of the decision.
Explaining why the decision is unacceptable, she pointed out several concerns:
Public transport will be closed on Election Day, forcing voters to travel from far and wide on foot or by rickshaw. If voters arrive with mobile phones by mistake, they will be turned back from 400 yards away, making it impossible for them to return to the polling centre after leaving their phones. She described this as a strategy to discourage voter turnout.
In the context of Bangladesh, mobile phones serve as a form of protection for ordinary citizens. In cases of irregularities or harassment near polling centers, phones are the only means to record vid-eos or take photos. By banning phones, she alleged, the Commission is effectively creating oppor-tunities for irregularities.
She noted that the ban poses particular risks for women voters who come alone, as going out with-out mobile phones compromises their security. As a result, many women voters may refrain from voting due to safety concerns.
To protect the secrecy of the ballot, she argued, it would have been sufficient to ban the use of phones inside polling booths. A complete ban within a 400-yard radius, she said, is unnecessary.
She also alleged that, under the pretext of checking phones, opportunities are being created to har-ass ordinary voters and polling agents. Taking such a decision without consultation just before the vote, she claimed, is deliberate.
In the interest of a free and fair election, Dr Jara strongly demanded the immediate cancellation of the decision. “Give the voters the opportunity to vote without fear and without hindrance,” she said.
