The upcoming parliamentary election should be held under a non-partisan government because previous elections under partisan governments were not credible, discussants said at a roundtable yesterday.

They also said the Election Commission (EC) should not hastily introduce the electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the national polls before it is extensively introduced to the voters.

Civil society platform Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) arranged the roundtable on “Amendment of the Representation of People Order (RPO) and Fair Election” at the capital's Jatiya Press Club.

The discussants -- including former bureaucrats, professors, governance campaigners and lawyers -- said institutional reform in different government bodies is required for ensuring credible polls due in December.

Addressing the roundtable, Shujan President M Hafizuddin Khan criticised the EC for sending a proposal hurriedly to the government to change the RPO of 1972 for allowing it to use EVMs in the upcoming polls.

The EC is working like a "rocket" to include EVM system in the RPO, he said.

Many countries, including the US, have not yet started using it. Many nations also suspended the system after using it, since they think it was not suitable, he said, adding that most Bangladeshis do not know about it properly.

“So, why the rush?” he questioned.

Also a former adviser to a caretaker government, Hafizuddin Khan said, “We have to accept that previous elections under political governments were not held in fair manners.”

“Our only demand should be election under a non-partisan government,” he added.

Former Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Majumdar said fair election does not depend only on government's will.

However, if the government wants it can turn state actors -- like police, BGB and other state servants, which have possibility to appear as “villain” during elections -- into "friends" overnight, he said.

Gono Forum Executive President Subrata Chowdhury said if political parties really want, they can sit together and reach a consensus in seven days, he said.

Prof CR Abrar of International Relations department of Dhaka University said people are worried as distrust has been created in them over the upcoming elections, and that “the EC is yet to gain people's trust”.

It is the government's duty to create a favourable environment so that people can cast vote for their preferred candidates, he added.

On EC's role in registration of political parties, Gano Samhati Andolon's Central Coordinator Zonayed Saki said the regulation of registration with the EC has become a process to exclude political parties.

Moderating the roundtable, Shujan Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said the EC has proposed to recruit constituency-based returning officers, but it lacks enough number of officials. As a result, the EC has to ask other government officials to do the duty.

But politicisation of the government sector -- that has been going for years -- remains a big question to this end, he added.

At the roundtable, Shujan Coordinator Dilip Sarkar read out a 12-point demand and urged the EC to incorporate those while amending the RPO.

Supreme Court lawyer barrister Jyotirmoy Barua and environmental activist Syeda Rizwana Hasan, among others, spoke at the event.

As the recent Khulna City Corporation elections were marked by “peaceful rigging”, there is no scope to term it free, fair and flawless, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) said today.

“We feel the Khulna City Corporation elections were a questionable one,” said Dilip Kumar Sarkar, central coordinator of Shujan said at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity.

People’s credibility and confidence that the Election Commission had gained following the Rangpur City Corporation elections is found missing in the KCC elections, Dilip Kumar added.

For some candidates the KCC polling atmosphere was fearful even though there were no noticeable incidents of violence or cases of mass irregularities, Sujan said at the conference.

This is why, voter presence was very low, only 62.19 percent, he said.

Election Commission had no control over the law enforcers, said Shujan President Hafiz Uddin claimed while speaking at the conference.

Almost 10,000 law enforcers were on the field, there was a lot of preparation but still in many cases fake votes were cast in front of police personnel, he added.

Awami League mayor candidate Talukder Abdul Khaleque won the Khulna City Corporation polls held on May 15. The elections were marred by irregularities such as heavy showdown by the ruling party in and around polling stations, ballot stuffing and driving out polling agents of rival group.

Khaleque got 1,74,851 votes while his rival from the BNP Nazrul Islam Monju bagged 1,09,251 votes.

Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan), a civil society platform for good governance, yesterday alleged that the recently held three city corporation elections to Barisal, Sylhet and Rajshahi were “government-controlled”.

The Election Commission (EC) should play a stronger role for holding a free and fair national election, said Badiul Alam Majumder, secretary of Sujan.

“The polls that were held on July 30 failed to meet our expectations,” he said, asking the EC to take coordinated plans ahead of the upcoming national election.

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3 upcoming city polls likely to be held in Khulna style: Shujan

The press conference titled, “What kind of public representatives we have got in Rajshahi and Sylhet city corporations' polls”, was held at Dhaka Reporters' Unity.

Badiul suggested that the EC take opinions of all concerned stakeholders including the government, political parties, EC officials, law enforcement agencies, media and civil society to strike a coordinated plan for future elections.

He also suggested the government sign a memorandum of understanding with the political parties for creating a secure environment in the country before and after the national polls.

Sujan's central Convener Dilip Kumar Sarkar read out a paper in which he elaborated the socio-economic backgrounds of mayors and councillors of Rajshahi and Sylhet city corporations.

He said the “Khulna Model” was followed in the Rajshahi and Sylhet city corporation polls. In Khulna City Corporation election, the main opposition was driven out with the help of law enforcement agencies, polling agents of BNP were barred to carry out their duties and the EC played a silent role, he added.

“Apart from that, voters were held hostage by giving them bait of development,” he said, adding that voters were told if they do not vote for the ruling party, development will be stalled.

Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barisal city corporation polls were held on July 30, 2018. Awami League mayoral runner AHM Khairuzzaman Liton won the RCC polls while BNP candidate Ariful Haque Chowdhury won the SCC election.

The EC is investigating the irregularities that took place during BCC election, and its result is yet to be declared officially.

Civil society platform Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) today said that the elections to Gazipur and Khulna city corporations were held in a “controlled” manner. 

“The controlled elections give rise to a controlled democracy which is not democracy at all,” Badiul Alam Mojumder, secretary of the civil society platform, came up with the remarks while addressing a view-exchanging meeting in Sylhet, according to a press release.

Shujan also stressed the need for raising voices of the civil society members to put pressure on the Election Commission (EC) for holding the upcoming elections to Rajshahi, Barisal and Sylhet city corporations in a free, fair and impartial manner.

Shujan organised the programme titled “Citizen’s thought: Upcoming city corporation elections” at a hotel in Sylhet.

In his speech, the Shujan secretary said elections to the Narayanganj, Comilla and Rangpur city corporations have been held in a free and fair manner under the present EC.

The credibility and confidence that the EC had gained among people following the Rangpur and Comilla city corporation elections have been found missing in the recently held Khulna and Gazipur elections, he said.

Awami League mayor candidates won in both Khulna and Gazipur city corporation elections which were largely marred by irregularities such as heavy showdown, ballot stuffing and driving out polling agents of rival groups from the polling centres.

Elections to Khulna and Gazipur city corporations were held on May 15 and June 26 respectively.