Political parties taking part in the Election Commission’s (EC) dialogue ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election and the referendum have called for comprehensive measures to ensure a fair and secure voting environment.
Their demands include establishing a neutral field administration, transferring deputy commissioners and superintendents of police through a lottery system, increasing army deployment, strengthening cyber security, protecting minorities, strictly enforcing the electoral code of conduct, and issuing clear guidelines for the referendum.
Representatives of seven political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), made the appeals at a dialogue held Wednesday at the EC headquarters in Agargaon. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, other commissioners and the EC secretary were present.
Jamaat seeks army deployment, lottery-based transfers
Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar expressed strong concerns about recent reshuffles in the civil and police administration, saying the changes appeared “planned” and lacked neutrality.
He proposed that all transfers after the announcement of the election schedule be conducted through a lottery. “Lottery-based postings will build trust. We told the Chief Adviser that such a system would remove doubts,” he said. Parwar also demanded that four to five army personnel be stationed at every polling centre instead of only one.
Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad emphasised the need for an independent and bold Election Commission. Questioning reshuffles based solely on intelligence reports, he warned that such actions could undermine the election.
The party also called for the lottery-based reassignment of DCs, SPs, OCs and election officials, and for the installation of CCTV cameras inside polling centres, citing limitations of body-worn cameras.
Jamaat’s legal counsel Shishir Monir highlighted ambiguities regarding sanctions for code-of-conduct violations, noting uncertainty over enforcement and party-level penalties.
NCP seeks clear referendum roadmap, cyber protection for women
NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary urged the EC to immediately publish detailed guidelines on the timing and procedure of the referendum. He cautioned that female voters may face online harassment during the election and called for robust cyber protection measures.
NCP Senior Joint Member Secretary Dr Tasnim Jara said the current timeframe for expatriate voter registration was inadequate and would limit participation. Citing misinformation and targeted harassment during the 2024 election, she called for stronger monitoring and rapid content takedown mechanisms.
Ganosamhati Andolan calls for separate booths
Ganosamhati Andolan Chief Coordinator Zonayed Saki criticised the EC for amending election laws without stakeholder consultation. Opposing restrictions on coalition candidates using joint symbols, he argued that alliances should retain this option.
Saki also demanded separate booths and counting procedures for the referendum and the general election, as well as clarity on the number of law enforcement personnel to be deployed at each centre. Party leader Popy Rani Sarkar urged action against cyberbullying targeting female candidates.
NDM, Minority Janata Party raise concerns over bias and security
National Democratic Movement (NDM) Secretary General Mohammad Mominul Amin criticised the decision to ban coalition symbols through legal amendments, saying it created unnecessary complications.
He raised concerns about potential political bias in the recruitment of election officials from specific institutions, urging the EC to disclose such information when announcing the election schedule.
Sukriti Kumar Mandal, president of the Bangladesh Minority Janata Party, called for immediate cancellation of candidature for those involved in attacks or intimidation against minorities.
He demanded deployment of army and other security forces seven days before and ten days after the election, formation of a strong EC-led cyber monitoring or fact-checking unit, postal ballots for individuals facing security threats, and disqualification of candidates who promote religious hatred by labelling opponents as “atheist” or “infidel.”
Other parties cite coalition rights, safety and voting methods
Bangladesh Labour Party Chairman Mostafizur Rahman Iran criticised recent amendments to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), saying political stakeholders were not consulted.
He objected to rules requiring alliance members to contest under their own symbols and urged the EC to review the provision.
The party also proposed extending voting hours, enforcing the code of conduct more strictly, and installing CCTV cameras, given that the national election and referendum will be conducted simultaneously.
Sheikh Raihan Rahbar, secretary general of Insaniyat Biplob Bangladesh, said the country’s “unsafe and unstable” atmosphere poses serious risks for voters especially women.
He predicted that fear about safety at polling centres could significantly reduce female turnout and suggested introducing mobile-based online voting as an alternative.
