The Election Commission (EC) has instructed all government and private television channels to ensure equal opportunities for all candidates in broadcasting election and referendum-related content ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election.
The directive was issued on Wednesday (December 17) by the EC’s Director of Public Relations, Md Ruhul Amin Mallik, through a formal letter sent to the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, requesting necessary actions.
According to the directive, creating a fair, free, and acceptable electoral environment is crucial for credible elections. Television channels—both public and private—can play a significant role in fostering such an environment by ensuring balanced access to information dissemination for all candidates.
The EC emphasized that during programs organized in connection with the 13th parliamentary election and referendum—such as interviews, talk shows, election dialogues, or special broadcasts—equal opportunity must be maintained for all political parties and candidates.
The directive also refers to Rule 25 of the Political Parties and Candidates’ Code of Conduct 2025, which allows candidates or party representatives participating in elections to take part in televised election dialogues. However, it clearly prohibits making personal attacks or derogatory remarks against individuals.
In this context, the Election Commission has urged all television channels to remain vigilant so that no party or candidate is given undue advantage, and no content that humiliates, insults, or targets any candidate or party is broadcast. Necessary measures have been instructed to ensure compliance with these guidelines across all election-related programming.
