Online Desk: The Election Commission (EC) will encourage candidates to submit nomination papers online for the next national elections, the EC secretary said today.

After a meeting of election commissioners, EC Secretary Jahangir Alam told reporters that there was a provision in the law to submit nomination papers online. It was decided to add the matter to the election conducting rule, he said.

While the EC encourages candidates to file nomination papers online, it is not yet possible to make it mandatory, Jahangir said. He said a draft law on remuneration and privileges of the chief election commissioner and election commissioner was approved at the meeting.

Jahangir said the law is just the Bangla translation of the existing The Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners (Remuneration and Privileges) Ordinance-1983. There were no changes in the draft law. Now it will be sent to law ministry for vetting and next steps, he added.