Transparency International Bangladesh executive director and National Consensus Commission member Iftekharuzzaman on Friday said that the next national elections faced a major challenge due to a three-way tug of crisis within the government鈥檚 administrative structure.
He noted that the bureaucracy then comprised three types of officials鈥攖hose loyal to the previous government, those long deprived of positions, and a handful of neutral officers鈥攃reating an institutional imbalance that could undermine prospects for a fair election.
鈥楩ree and impartial elections are impossible if political parties themselves are not committed to ensuring them. Apart from political will, the neutrality of election observers and the media is also crucial for a credible election,鈥� he said.
He made the remarks while inaugurating an election training programme, organised jointly by the Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy and TIB at the organisation鈥檚 Dhanmondi office in Dhaka.
Highlighting weaknesses in the administrative framework, Iftekharuzzaman said that many officials loyal to the Awami League then held their positions. The interim government had to move toward the election while keeping these weaknesses in mind.
He added that law enforcement agencies also reflected partisan bias, a structure that had evolved not just over the last 16 years but throughout the past 54 years.
鈥楾hose who were long deprived are now regaining ground, but even in that process, politicisation has been reinforced. Every institution has come under dual partisan influence, fuelling professional conflicts. Only a handful of officers are genuinely trying to remain neutral,鈥� he said.
The TIB chief said that the administration was operating under the push and pull of those three forces, and it was neither possible to overhaul the structure overnight nor to completely reconstitute the bureaucracy.
However, he expressed hope that with stability and renewed professionalism, gradual changes could be achieved over time.
Iftekharuzzaman said that there would be no chance of holding a fair election if the election-time government played a biased role.
鈥業f the election-time government is biased, fails to play its due role for ensuring the level-playing field or plays a partial role towards any party, there will be no chance of the election being fair. So, we [TIB and media] have to observe their role as well,鈥� he said.
The TIB chief said that the roles of the main stakeholders had to be taken into account for holding a fair and neutral election.
鈥楢mong the list of stakeholders, many think it is the election commission which must play a central or the most important role. I think the role of everyone among the stakeholders is too critical that it is difficult to say whose role is the most important here,鈥� he said.
The TIB executive director, however, said that the election commission had to play the central role as it was their legal and constitutional responsibility.
鈥楤ut how much this responsibility is being performed or level-playing field is being created by the EC should be observed. This is why the EC is the first stakeholder in the list and then the election-time government comes in the list of the stakeholders.鈥�
He pointed out that political parties were also key stakeholders. 鈥業f the political parties don鈥檛 truly want fair elections and want to participate in the polls to win at any cost, it would be difficult to ensure a level-playing field,鈥� he said, adding that the roles of political parties and their candidates should be closely monitored by media and watchdog bodies.
Iftekharuzzaman also emphasised the importance of the administration and law enforcement agencies, which come under the purview of the EC during elections.
He said that voters and election observers were also significant actors in ensuring a fair election.
Turning to the EC鈥檚 guidelines for media, Iftekharuzzaman stressed that journalists鈥� access to polling stations had to be protected in the election.
The TIB chief warned that the provision requiring journalists to 鈥榠nform鈥� the concerned presiding officer before entering the polling station could be misused as a tool of harassment.
