Election officers at the upazila level have declared that they will not take responsibility for the controversial national elections of 2014, 2018 and 2024.
The stance was made clear on Saturday at the general meeting of the Upazila, Thana and Equivalent Election Officers’ Association held at the Election Commission headquarters in Agargaon of the capital.
In the meeting, Association Convener Ashfaqur Rahman expressed dissatisfaction with the role of upazila election officers in these elections, stating that they were not in charge of key responsibilities.
He said, “We have a lot of grievances. We played no central role in the elections. We want to make it clear to the Election Commission that we were not responsible for the 2014, 2018, and 2024 elections. So why should we take the blame? We were never in charge of these elections, and we have no reason to shoulder the responsibility.”
He stressed that officers were prepared to shoulder their duties only if they were given the opportunity to perform them independently. “If you allow us to do our job properly, the responsibility is ours. But if you restrict our role, then the accountability cannot be ours,” he said.
Referring to the Election Commission’s roadmap, Ashfaqur Rahman affirmed that officers were committed to delivering future elections in a fair manner. “Our main field of work is the upazila election office, where all activities are conducted. But we are not robots. Every burden is placed on us, yet we are deprived year after year,” he said.
He called for urgent reforms, including the promulgation of the Election Commission Amendment Ordinance 2025 in line with the recommendations of the Election Commission Reform Commission. He demanded that the ordinance be implemented without delay to establish an Election Service Commission.
Addressing the need for reform, Ashfaqur Rahman said, “We urge the chief election commissioner to speak with the chief adviser and implement the necessary changes”.
The association also put forward a set of demands, including the upgradation of upazila election officer’s position to grade 6, and the assistant election officers to grade 9, allocation of double-cabin vehicles for upazila election officers and motorcycles for assistant election officers.”
In addition to these demands, Ashfaqur Rahman called for the repeal of the fascist law that transferred the National ID card service to the Ministry of Home Affairs, describing it as a step backward for democratic freedoms.
Ashfaqu concluded by stressing the importance of conducting a free, fair, and impartial election, calling for the Election Commission to acknowledge their needs and provide the necessary support to organise an effective election.
