Civil society representatives and academics on Sunday voiced concerns over institutional fragility, political violence, financial malpractice, and digital disinformation plaguing the electoral landscape of Bangladesh.
Against this backdrop, they observed, only integrity, transparency, and an independent operation of the Election Commission can ensure credibility in the upcoming national elections.
The issues were discussed at a dialogue with the commission at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital.
Civil society representatives also called for stronger autonomy, accountability, and protection of the vulnerable voters.
They said that the Election Commission must show courage and maintain independence despite heavy reliance on the executive branch.
Widespread corruption, political polarisation, and normalised violence 鈥� both before and after elections 鈥� pose serious risks, particularly for minorities and vulnerable groups, they observed.
The commission on Sunday held two dialogues concerning the 13th national parliament election 鈥� one with civil society representatives and the other with intellectuals.
Both the dialogues were presided over by chief election commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin and it was said that the commission would continue to hold such dialogues throughout October -- with political parties, women leaders, July fighters, and the media.
Former caretaker government adviser Rasheda K Choudhury criticised the proposal from political parties to keep only 5 to 7 per cent of the JS seats reserved for women, saying that the demand should be for minimum 33 per cent of the seats.
She stressed the need for safeguarding ethnic and religious minorities, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups during elections, calling for installing polling stations to be disability-friendly.
She further pressed for the 鈥楴o鈥� vote option to be extended to all voters, argued for special attention in vulnerable areas such as tea gardens and haor regions, and called for teachers to be exempted from election duty to avoid disruption in students鈥� education.
Dhaka University vice-chancellor Niaz Ahmed Khan stressed the need for strong safeguards to ensure a free and fair election, urging that polling must be conducted in a clearly protected environment.
He recommended measures such as installing cameras around the polling stations, involving journalists for independent verification, and engaging both domestic and international observers.
Niaz Ahmed also highlighted the importance of thoroughly testing IT systems and warned that social media could be misused for harassment, bullying, and spreading false information, calling for realistic strategies to mitigate such risks.
Dhaka University professor Gitiara Nasreen underlined the critical role of a responsible media in elections and urged the Election Commission to work closely with representative editors and reporters.
She recommended devising and establishing a comprehensive media policy and a code of conduct to guide election reporting and maintain public trust, while cautioning that AI-generated content and other false information could affect the electoral process.
Former ambassador Humayun Kabir said that the upcoming elections would serve as a transition for Bangladesh, determining the direction the country would take in the future.
He said that the Election Commission must carry out its responsibilities despite the current challenges.
He expressed confidence that the commission was capable of delivering good elections.
Chittagong University vice-chancellor Professor Muhammad Yeahia Akhter described the current political climate as a grave situation for holding elections, saying that if the commission succeeded in ensuring fair polls, its name would be written in history in golden letters.聽
On the issue of proportional representation, he cautioned against introducing the system without prior testing or ensuring public awareness, observing that it would be unwise to make such a major change without proper experiments and preparations.
Transparency International Bangladesh director Mohammad Badiuzzaman said that there was currently no institutional mechanism to verify the information provided by candidates in their nomination papers and affidavits.
He argued that such verification was necessary.
Badiuzzaman said that the 鈥榥o鈥� vote option should be available in all constituencies, adding that under the new rules if there was only one candidate in a seat that candidate must contest against the 鈥榥o鈥� vote.
Journalist and columnist Sohrab Hasan said that ensuring voters鈥� rights was a shared responsibility of the government, the Election Commission, and law-enforcement agencies, and argued that the commission should be prepared to withdraw or resign if a free and fair election proved impossible.
He claimed that certain parties were being excluded from the election, cautioning that the commission needed to consider the implications if those parties chose to participate, questioning assurances that the upcoming election would be the best if any group was excluded.
CEC AMM Nasir Uddin said that the commission was taking serious measures to prevent the misuse of artificial intelligence, misinformation, and disinformation on social media ahead of the national elections scheduled for early February 2026.
He said that a central communication cell would be set up to address these issues and that the commission was fully aware of the potential consequences of social media abuse.
The CEC outlined the progress it has made since assuming office in November 2024, saying that the voter list had been updated, the Representation of the People Order amended, the electoral code of conduct revised, and amendments made to nine laws.
The dialogue had been attended by EC members Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Tahmida Ahmad, Md Anwarul Islam Sarker, and Abdul Fazal Md Sanaullah, and the EC senior secretary Akthar Hossain.