Switched-off mobile phones allowed in polling stations

Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed on Friday said voters will be allowed to carry mobile phones inside polling stations, but those will have to keep switched off.

"Though mobile phones can be carried inside polling centres, those can't be used. Mobile phones will have keep switched off," he told reporters at the Nirbachan Bhaban, UNB reports.

No one other than the presiding officers and the police officers will be permitted to use mobile phones inside the election centres, the EC Secretary said.
He said no unauthorised motorised vehicle will be allowed to ply on the street on the election day.

However, the vehicles of law enforcers, government services and fire service, ambulances and newspaper-carrying vehicles will remain out of the purview of the restriction, Helal said.

He said there is no apprehension about the election. "The election will be held in a peaceful manner."

EC Additional Secretary Mokhlesur Rahman said the presiding officers will hand over result sheets to candidates' agents after counting votes in the polling stations.

At the Nirbachan Bhaban, election results of different constituencies will be displayed through 10 projectors, he said.

Mokhlesur also said carrying national identity card to polling stations is not mandatory for voters to cast their votes through electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the six designated constituencies.

He said voters can know about their voting areas and polling stations through sending SMS from Saturday morning.