The Election Commission now has the authority to cancel election results in any or all of the 300 parliamentary constituencies if the integrity of the poll is compromised, Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Mohammad Sanaullah announced on Monday, August 11.he decision was made during an adjourned meeting of the EC held at the Election Building in Agargaon under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin. The meeting finalised a set of key recommendations for reforms to the Representation of the People Order (RPO).

EC Sanaullah confirmed that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will not be used in the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Elections. Instead, voting will be conducted using traditional paper ballots.

One of the most significant reforms is the reintroduction of the ‘No’ vote—formally known as ‘None of the Above’ - allowing voters to reject all candidates in a constituency. This provision was previously used only in the 2008 general election.

Sanaullah outlined the major amendments to the RPO, including:

Cancellation of results: The EC can annul results in any constituency—or all 300 seats—if irregularities, fraud, or violations undermine the electoral process.

Single-candidate constituencies: If only one candidate runs, they cannot be declared elected automatically. A minimum number of valid votes must be cast for the result to stand.

Tie-breaking mechanism: In the event of a tie, the winner will not be decided by lottery. Instead, a re-vote will be conducted.

Alliance elections: Parties contesting under an alliance will be elected under their respective party symbols, ensuring transparency in representation.

Post-election scrutiny: The Commission retains the power to investigate and cancel the membership of an MP if false information is found in their nomination affidavit—even after the election.

Law enforcement role of armed forces: The armed forces have been formally included as a law enforcement agency eligible for election duty.

The ‘No’ vote was first introduced in Bangladesh during the ninth National Parliament election in 2008 under Section 31(5)(BB) of the RPO. A dedicated box marked with an ‘N’ was placed at the end of the ballot paper, clearly labelled “None of the above”. In that election, out of 69,759,210 votes cast nationwide, 382,437 were ‘No’ votes.

The reintroduction of this option is seen as a major step toward voter empowerment and electoral accountability, particularly in constituencies where public trust in candidates is low.

The EC meeting was attended by Commissioners Abdur Rahmanel Machud, Tahmida Ahmed, Md. Anwarul Islam Sarkar, Abul Fazal Mohammad Sanaullah, EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, and other senior officials.

With the February 2025 elections on the horizon, these sweeping reforms signal the Commission’s commitment to ensuring a free, fair, and credible electoral process.