BNP Issues Strict Rules for Banners & Campaign Materials

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has issued specific instructions regarding the creation of banners, billboards, festoons, and voter slips for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. A notice signed by Nazrul Islam Khan, Chairman of the party's Central Election Steering Committee, urged all to strictly adhere to these regulations during the campaign.

The notice mentioned that full-scale election campaigning is set to begin on January 22, and these directives will remain in effect to maintain discipline throughout the period.

Specific Measurements and Colors

According to the BNP guidelines, no posters of any kind can be used in the election campaign. The party has strictly defined the dimensions for campaign materials:

• Banners: Maximum 10 feet x 4 feet.

• Billboards: Maximum 16 feet x 9 feet.

• Festoons: 18 inches x 24 inches.

• Leaflets: 8.27 inches x 11.69 inches.

• Voter Slips: 12 cm x 8 cm.

• Portraits: 60 cm x 45 cm.

The guidelines further state that banners, festoons, and leaflets must be printed in black and white. However, colored text and images are permitted exclusively for billboards and social media content. Additionally, banners and leaflets may only feature the candidate’s symbol alongside the portrait of the current party chief. The notice warned that "No banner, handbill, leaflet, or festoon can be used without the name, address of the printing press, and the date of printing."

Restrictions and Technology Ban

Regarding campaign limitations and the use of technology, the notice informed that a candidate cannot install more than 20 billboards in any single constituency. Furthermore, a ban has been imposed on the use of modern machinery during the campaign or on polling day.

The notice explicitly stated, "No drones, quadcopters, or similar devices may be used during election campaigning or on the day of voting."