Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker has warned of a crisis of trust' in Bangladesh, reports bdnews24.com.
Speaking at a meeting with the Association of Journalists on Thursday, he remarked that 'no one can be trusted' in the country's current political climate.
"The most difficult thing is that no one is being trusted. I do not claim that people are confident in me, either. This crisis of confidence is a national crisis."
On July 23, the Election Commission issued the "Policy for Journalists/Media Workers, 2025", ahead of the 13th national parliamentary elections.
At the meeting, the leaders of the Reporters Forum for Elections and Democracy (RFED) raised objections, arguing that the policy would restrict the free flow of information.
Anwarul reassured the journalists, promising to review their concerns before finalising the guidelines.
"We need to analyse every issue thoroughly," he said.
"Please cooperate with us from your side as well. We will cooperate with each other so that we can hold a good election from our respective positions in light of the reality."
The new policy restricts live broadcasting from polling centres and prohibits taking photographs inside voting booths.
Journalists with valid accreditation will be allowed to enter polling stations but must notify the presiding officer.
No more than two reporters may enter at a time, and their stay is limited to 10 minutes.
They are also barred from interviewing election officials, party agents or voters inside polling stations.
Speaking at the event, election commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud emphasised that cooperation from journalists is crucial for ensuring transparent elections.
"We all want a transparent election. For this, your cooperation is extremely important. No wrongdoing will be tolerated. We may make mistakes, but we will not tolerate any injustice. Therefore, we seek your (journalists) cooperation," he said.
Talking about the written demands submitted by the RFED, Rahmanel Masud said these demands for changes in the guidelines would be reviewed. "We'll do whatever is best for both sides, for the people, and to ensure a fair and transparent election," he said.
He said they would not tolerate any injustice, though mistakes might happen, and sought the cooperation of journalists in this regard.
