EC meeting under way to finalise RPO amendments ahead of polls

The Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates is also on the agenda

The Election Commission (EC) has reconvened a meeting to finalise a series of recommendations for amending the Representation of the People Order (RPO) ahead of the 13th parliamentary election.

The session, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, began at 11am on Monday at the EC headquarters in Dhaka's Agargaon.

The agenda for the meeting also includes discussions on the Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates, 2025.

Previously, during a full-day discussion on Thursday, some decisions were made on various matters, but the commission was unable to progress on the RPO amendments.

Nearly three dozen RPO amendments are under review, including provisions for postal ballots for expatriates and restrictions to prevent misuse of AI. Issues agreed upon by the National Consensus Commission may also be incorporated.

Once approved, the proposals will go to the law ministry for vetting before submission to the Advisory Council for approval and issuance as an ordinance.

The Chief Advisor’s Office has instructed the EC to complete all preparations for holding the election before Ramadan in February next year, with the schedule likely to be announced in late December.