Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Thursday alleged that attempts are being made to undermine a level playing field weeks ahead of the country’s 13th national parliamentary elections. The allegations were made at a press conference in Dhaka by Mahdi Amin, adviser to the BNP chairperson and spokesperson for the party’s election steering committee. “Over the past few days, we have observed actions that are eroding the level playing field and paving the way for a controversial electoral process,” he said. He also raised concerns about the design of postal ballots, alleging that the BNP’s electoral symbol — the sheaf of paddy — has been placed in a less visible position compared with rival symbols. The BNP has also demanded the creation of a fact-checking cell within the Election Commission to address election-related misinformation, he said.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 15, 2026 19:13 UTC