Final preparations are underway for Bangladesh’s crucial February 12, 2026, polls, blending parliamentary elections with a National Charter referendum. A headline-grabbing directive from the Election Commission forbids mobile phones inside a 400-yard zone around polling stations, detailed in a letter signed by MD Shahidul Islam.
Sent Sunday to 69 returning officers—including those in major divisions and districts—the order allows phones solely for presiding officers, security police leads, and specific Ansar personnel using the Election Security 2026 tool. Journalists and candidates are notably barred, emphasizing zero-tolerance for disruptions.
Post-campaign closure on Monday, this rule fortifies against tech-enabled mischief in a nation long wrestling with electoral integrity.
Yet, the elections spotlight a gender crisis. Sparse female candidacies, per Commission data, face amplified hostility via cyber attacks and real-world menace, aimed at crushing independent women’s momentum.
Dhaka-19 hopeful Dilsana Parul of the National Citizen Party opened up to The Dhaka Tribune about her trials. ‘Online hordes mock my headscarf; threats target my volunteers. It’s not just rivals—self-proclaimed progressives pile on,’ she revealed. Parul decries the disparity: men face graft charges, women character evisceration.
Widespread accounts detail bullying, defamation, and harassment to quash female campaigns. This orchestrated terror seeks to preserve male dominance.
Undeterred, Parul pledges field-level dedication to development. The phone ban is a tactical win for poll security, but Bangladesh’s future hinges on shielding aspiring women leaders. These elections could redefine political inclusion—or reinforce barriers.