All sorts of documents to be furnished with the nomination papers will be posted on the EC website. If anyone is found to have concealed facts, the commission will recommend cancellation of their membership in parliament.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda at a press briefing announced the draft proposals and said those would be finalised after a series of dialogues with the political parties and civil society members, and inter-ministerial meetings.

In the proposals, the EC seeks the authority to cancel candidature on grounds of irregularities. It wants to make mandatory registration of the political parties with provisions designed to ensure financial transparency and democracy within the parties.

It also plans to impose restriction on retired military or civil servants, loan and utility bill defaulters, NGO officials and independent candidates with regard to participation in the national polls.

Besides, none will be allowed to contest from more than three constituencies at a time.

The CEC said the proposals aim to free the electoral process of muscle power and black money, and create an atmosphere encouraging the honest and dedicated political leaders to take part in the elections.

He added that the commission will start talking with the political parties and other stakeholders soon after withdrawal of the ban on indoor politics. "I have already expressed our anxiety to the government. We hope they will lift the ban by May 8," the poll chief said referring to his meeting the law adviser on Wednesday.

Once the proposals are finalised, they will be sent to the council of advisers for approval.

The CEC said no unregistered organisation will be permitted to field candidates in the elections. Besides, none will be allowed to be a candidate of a registered political party unless three years have passed since his/her enrolment.

A prospective independent candidate will have to come up with signatures from at least one percent of his constituents supporting him.

Those intending to compete for more than one constituency will have to deposit Tk 5 lakh for each. In case of their winning all three seats, deposits for two will be forfeited, said one of the proposals adding that it will help the EC bear the by-election expenses.

The commission proposes that an electoral dispute will have to be settled within six months. The time limit cannot be extended even if a High Court bench is reconstituted with an election case pending before it. A petition for leave to appeal against a High Court judgment must be resolved within two months, and if the Appellate Division grants permission the appeal will have to be disposed of within four months.

A civil or military bureaucrat will not be allowed to run in a parliamentary election before three years since retirement. Similar provision has been suggested for the officials of NGOs run on foreign grants.

The EC also recommends that appeals against acceptance of candidature by the returning officers should be allowed.

According to the proposals, a political party that had won at least one parliamentary seat in elections since 1973 will be considered fit for registration. The organisations not meeting the condition will have to have offices and committees in at least 32 districts and upazilas under those. They must have at least one thousand members at a district unit and 200 members at upazila.

A registered political party will have to follow its constitution and have bank accounts to maintain its funds. No unregistered party shall join an alliance led by a registered political party.

If a registered political party violates an electoral provision, its registration will be cancelled.