Concerns over election fairness persist, says Debapriya

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), warned on Wednesday that although the momentum for holding elections in Bangladesh is strong, concerns over their fairness remain unresolved.

Speaking at a pre-election regional consultation organised by Citizen Platform Bangladesh for the Implementation of SDGs in Chattogram, Dr Bhattacharya said, “The power in favour of holding elections is very high – citizens, major political parties, business groups, law enforcement agencies, and the interim government all want elections. Yet the fear surrounding a fair and credible election is not disappearing.”

He emphasised that the Election Commission must address these fears to ensure a transparent and acceptable electoral process. “Everyone agrees that elections will be held, but the question of whether they will be good and credible remains,” he added.

At the event, Muhammad Shahjahan, Jamaat’s Central Assistant General, called for a citizen-friendly, decentralised governance and stressed the need for local citizen forums to unite communities.

Participants from various sectors in Chattogram voiced their expectations of the next government, highlighting issues such as security, good governance, human and civil rights, non-communalism, anti-corruption, transparency, accountability, and recognition of third-gender rights.

Other notable attendees included CPD fellow Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Additional Research Director Taufiqul Islam Khan, East Delta University VC Professor Nazim Uddin, former Chittagong University Professor Sekandar Khan, APKA Executive Director Md Alamgir, and student leaders Tahsina Rahman (CUCSU) and Tania Akhter Mahi (Uttaran-Chittagong University).

The consultation concluded with a plan to present the expectations of people from eight districts and the youth of 18 universities as a citizens’ manifesto to political parties on December 20.