Mobile phone ban near polling centres: Nahid warns of EC besiege

The National Citizen Party (NCP) convener and 11-party alliance candidate for Dhaka-11, Nahid Islam, has warned of a besiege of the Election Commission (EC) if the restriction on carrying mobile phones within 400 yards of polling centres is not withdrawn.

Speaking at an election rally of the 11-party alliance in Mohammadpur on Monday (February 9), Nahid questioned the rationale behind the EC’s directive banning mobile phones near polling centres.

He alleged that the decision was part of a broader plan to suppress information and facilitate electoral manipulation.

Nahid said the EC must revise the directive by Monday evening, warning that failure to do so would lead to a siege of the commission on Tuesday (February 10).

He further alleged that restricting mobile phones would result in media blackout, limit voters’ access to information, and pave the way for vote rigging.

Addressing the EC, he warned that any attempt at bias or manipulation on polling day would lead to consequences worse than those faced by election commissions during previous authoritarian periods.