Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and a candidate of the Jamaat-led 10-party alliance, has warned that the Election Commission (EC) will be besieged if it does not withdraw its ban on carrying mobile phones within 400 yards of polling centers. He issued the warning on Monday during an election rally at Mohammadpur Eidgah ground in Dhaka, ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election and referendum scheduled for February 12. The EC had issued the directive a day earlier.

According to the EC’s instruction, only presiding officers, police in-charge, Ansar personnel, and two Ansar members using the “Election Security 2026” app are allowed to carry phones inside the restricted area. Nahid Islam criticized the directive, calling for its withdrawal by Monday evening, and warned of severe consequences if the EC acted with bias.

He also accused private media outlets of favoring a particular party by selectively airing election advertisements and warned that any attempt to seize polling centers would be resisted with force.