Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) has expressed disappointment over the Election Commission’s newly announced roadmap for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election, stating that the roadmap fails to address key aspirations of the people.
At a press conference held at the party’s central office in the capital on Friday morning, AB Party’s General Secretary Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad welcomed the roadmap as a step forward for democracy. However, he emphasised the need for broader consultation with political parties and stakeholders. “We have had confidence in Professor Yunus from the beginning. However, the roadmap was announced without consulting political parties, which could have improved it through proper discussion,” Fuad said.
While the roadmap includes 24 key elements, such as parliamentary constituency delimitation, finalisation of the voter list, political party registration, and accreditation of domestic observer organisations, Fuad expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of measures aimed at increasing voter awareness and controlling election expenditure.
“We were hoping for initiatives to boost voter awareness and for the state or Election Commission to bear part of the campaign costs,” Fuad added. “Sadly, there are no proposals to address the influence of black money in elections.”
Barrister Fuad also criticised the omission of a proposal from the youth-led movement in July, which suggested lowering the voter registration age to 17. “Including those who would turn 17 or 18 by election day in the voter list would not have been a complex task, and it’s unfortunate that it was left out.”
The General Secretary also proposed using common posters and festoons for rallies, which he believes could save billions of taka. “If the state funded a portion of campaign expenses, the role of black money in elections would be reduced, and the process could be more transparent,” Fuad stated.
Furthermore, Fuad called on the Election Commission to modernise its approach, noting that traditional election practices continue to hinder credibility. “Due to the government’s failure to relinquish control over law enforcement and the administration, there is widespread public doubt about the election process. In the past 24 years, Bangladesh has not seen a truly acceptable election,” Fuad remarked, stressing the lack of competent officials to conduct free and fair elections.
Among the leaders present at the press conference were AB Party Vice Chairman Lt Colonel Helal Uddin (Rtd), Joint General Secretaries Anwar Sadat Tutul and Shahadatullah Tutul, National Executive Committee member Siddiqur Rahman, Dhaka North City Convenor Selim Khan, Jubo Party Member Secretary Hadiuzzaman Khokon, and other central and metropolitan leaders.
The party’s response to the roadmap highlights the need for more comprehensive reforms in Bangladesh’s electoral process, particularly regarding youth participation, transparency, and the reduction of black money influence in politics.
