No voter, polling agent, or election official will be allowed within 400 yards of a polling centre with a mobile phone, except the presiding officer, the officer-in-charge, and two authorised Ansar members using the “Election Security 2026” app.

While the ban is aimed at preventing security breaches and maintaining the integrity of the vote, it also means that many first-time voters, particularly from Generation Z, will miss a chance to capture and share a defining civic moment. For young voters eager to document their first experience participating in a national election, the ban represents a lost opportunity to celebrate their democratic contribution and share it with friends and family.

Voting in the 13th national election will take place on Thursday, 12 February, with balloting running uninterrupted from 7:30am to 4:30pm. There are over 42,000 polling centres across 64 districts, with nearly 250,000 polling booths in total. Polling will be held in 299 of the 300 parliamentary seats, as no voting will take place in Sherpur-3 following the death of a candidate. A total of 51 parties registered with the Election Commission are contesting in this election.