The Bangladesh government has issued a gazette amending several sections of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) ahead of the 13th parliamentary election and national referendum. The revisions clarify the conditions under which postal ballots will be counted or invalidated, expanding the authority of returning officers and defining new judicial powers related to election management. Under the updated Article 27(10) and newly added Article 37A, postal ballots lacking a voter’s signature, containing no mark, or showing marks for multiple candidates will not be counted. Ballots will also be excluded if a court alters the candidate list for a constituency or if the returning officer does not formally accept the ballot before counting. These changes aim to ensure procedural transparency and reduce disputes over postal votes. Election observers note that the amendments could tighten oversight but may also increase ballot rejection rates. The Election Commission is expected to issue detailed guidelines soon to help returning officers apply the new provisions consistently.
ত্রয়োদশ সংসদ নির্বাচন ও গণভোটের আগে গণপ্রতিনিধিত্ব আদেশের (আরপিও) বেশ কয়েকটি অনুচ্ছেদ পরিবর্তন করে গেজেট প্রকাশ করেছে সরকার। এর মধ্যে দিয়ে ডাকযোগের ব্যালট গণনা, রিটার্নিং কর্মকর্তার ক্ষমতা ও বিচারিক ক্ষমতা সংক্রান্তসহ বেশ কয়েকটি ধারা সংশোধন করা হয়েছে
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