The KM Nurul Huda-led Election Commission has failed to ensure a congenial atmosphere for the 11th parliamentary election, according to speakers at a discussion.
The event organised by think-tank Centre for Governance Studies in Tuesday (Dec 18) at its offices in Dhaka was attended by a former election commissioner, a former caretaker government adviser as well as retired bureaucrats and former senior police officers among others.
The lack of immediate and effective measures by the Election Commission may lead to massive violence and large-scale irregularities on Election Day — Dec 30.
Former caretaker government adviser M Hafizuddin Khan said that the ‘test case of polls under a partisan administration’ was not good at all. “We expected a fair election, but there’s nothing to say regarding what’s happening.”
According to him, it was clear from the pre-election atmosphere that the EC is a “total failure”.
“The EC invited us at a discussion, where I said how a level playing field can be ensured as the prime minister was soliciting votes for her party wherever she was going on an official visit in the country while the other parties can’t even gather on the streets. The Commission replied then they were unable to do anything before the polls schedule was announced,” said Khan.
The EC has not taken proper measures amid violence across the country during the campaigns, says former election commissioner M Shakhawat Hossain.
“The Election Commission actually doesn’t know how to handle and how to go. In a nutshell, whatever is happening now is not good,” said the retired army officer.
Describing the process of holding an election as a ‘critical situation’, retired diplomat Muhammad Zamir said, “The Commission has some specific duties, which they did not dispense properly. It should have been more active as well as have taken exemplary measures.”
Addressing the incidents happening over the last few days is not a tough task, according to retired bureaucrat AH Mofazzal Karim.
“How will the people have confidence when the Election Commission’s aloofness reached to a point which can be only described as biased?” asked the former secretary.