Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed today said confusion had arisen over the directive banning mobile phones within 400 yards of polling centres.

Voters, candidates, and their agents will be allowed to carry phones inside centres, though photos cannot be taken inside secret voting booths, Akhtar said while talking to reporters this evening at the EC Secretariat in Dhaka's Agargaon.

He added that the EC’s intention was not properly conveyed, which led to the misunderstanding. “We are correcting the circular so there is no room for doubt,” he said.

He further stressed that the revised directive ensures that voters, candidates, agents, journalists, and observers can carry phones into polling centres, removing any ambiguity over the commission’s position.

The EC secretary said, "Regarding whether media personnel or observers can enter with these [phones] -- I am confirming that you will be able to take them with you."

On Sunday, the EC had initially said in a directive that phones could not be carried within a 400-yard radius of polling stations. The EC faced widespread criticism from all sections of society over the announcement.

Responding to a question on whether vote-counting would take extra time, Akhtar Ahmed said, “There is no valid reason for any delay in announcing the election results. However, we will have to wait until all ballots are counted.”