The Election Commission (EC) should on a positive note allow the voters to take their mobile phones when they would enter the polling centre for casting their votes, urgently dispelling confusion over the matter among the public. Recently, two contradictory statements came from the two election commissioners.

At a meeting in Munshiganj, election commissioner, Kabita Khanam, categorically said that the voters would not be allowed to take their mobile phones to the polling centres. But another election commissioner, Brig. Gen. (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, did not make such a categorical statement but said that Election Commission would discourage the voters to take their cell phones with them when they are inside a polling centre.

The two statements from two commissioners are not quite contradictory, but they have generated confusion over the matter among the public which is not desirable. Restricting use of a cell phone inside the polling centre and discouraging voters to take it is not the same thing.

The point against carrying a mobile handset by a voter as furnished by the election commissioners is that by taking snaps of ballot papers, voters can create irregularities about the poll procedure. In a modern voting system, election authorities in different countries send the ballot to the voters in advance.

So, the picture of a ballot paper coming out of the centre should not be a matter of serious concern.    

Carrying a mobile phone has become an integral part of our modern-day life and for urgent communication people need the device ready at hand.

That is why perhaps, according to a report of this newspaper yesterday, many already expressed their reaction to the statements of two election commissioners that if the handset is not allowed they would not go to the centre for casting their votes.

Considering all this, it would be thus better for Election Commission to allow the voters to carry their cell phone. The commission should also dispel the confusions so far have been generated by the statements of two election commissioners.