Speakers at a roundtable said that fair elections in Bangladesh are not possible without strong reforms and proper control over money, muscle and political behaviour, warning that past elections have failed to bring democratic transition.
The roundtable titled “Fair Elections and Democratic Transition: Citizen Reflections”, organised by Shushashoner Jonney Nagorik (SHUJAN) at the Cirdap auditorium in Dhaka on Tuesday, highlighted the existing problems within the political and electoral system.
SHUJAN Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said that, although Bangladesh had several fair elections in the past, democratic transition did not happen.
An election, he said, is the first step in the democratic journey but “election alone is not democracy”.
He said democratic transition means a sustainable system where every election is fair, citizens’ rights are protected and good governance is ensured, adding that criminalisation in the electoral process and the entry of “bad actors” in parliament have made the political field unclean.
He said most major corruption happens under the shelter of political parties, involving politicians, a section of bureaucrats and businesspeople. For this reason, he called for legal, institutional and structural reforms.
Photographer and activist Shahidul Alam said elections in Bangladesh run on “money and muscle”, and a candidate who has both can almost be sure of victory.
He said rules exist, but the real problem is the lack of control. Without control, he said, even “an angel would misuse power”.
He emphasised that the public is politically aware and has removed governments whenever they had the chance. For future fair elections, he said Bangladesh needs a system that limits the influence of money and muscle and gives the people a real opportunity to decide.
Political scientist Dilara Choudhury said democratic institutions will not develop unless political parties undergo reform.
She stressed the need to fully implement existing laws and said CCTV and body cameras at polling stations could prevent violence and capture of centres.
Dhaka University Professor Asif M Shahan, Voice for Reform Founder Fahim Masroor, among others was present at the programme.
