We must prove that we can hold a fair election: CEC
"You have given your word today, you'll not show partiality," CEC tells polls officials' conference
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin today (September 27) stressed the importance of delivering a free and fair election, pledging that there will be no bias.
He urged all election officials to uphold the law and work without bias, emphasising the commission's commitment to restoring public trust.
"Whatever incidents may have occurred in the past, we must prove that we can hold a fair election," Nasir said while addressing officials at the first-ever Election Officers' Conference at Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon.
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If anyone engages in malpractice, the responsibility will lie with them alone. The Election Commission will not take on that burden
He made officials raise their hands and promise to carry out their duties correctly and legally.
"You have given your word today that you will not show partiality towards any individual," the CEC reminded them, adding that the Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, currently in the US, is assuring everyone he speaks to that the upcoming election will be free, fair and neutral.
"The chief adviser has faith in us, and we must reciprocate that," he stated.
The CEC also remarked that working in Bangladesh is very difficult.
"It is very difficult to work in Bangladesh. Particularly given the situation the country is going through, it is hard to get things done. For some, it is very convenient. But for most others, it is difficult. This is the situation we are currently facing," he said.
Meanwhile, Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker, speaking as a special guest, reiterated that the current five-member Election Commission is working with a "strong backbone" to hold the 13th general election in the first half of February 2026.
"If you observe closely, this 10-month- and ten-day-old commission is working with a strong backbone. If this commission does not have a strong backbone, I do not know what kind of backbone any other commission would have. The commission has not, and will not, act out of affection or animosity towards anyone," Sarker affirmed.
Sharing his experience from recent meetings with voters in Malaysia and other locations, Anwarul noted, "Many are saying that voter turnout could be around 70%."
Earlier, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah echoed similar sentiments, stating that the July Uprising was primarily fuelled by "rotten elections" and the collapse of the electoral system.
He pledged that the current commission will not allow such polls to happen again, urging field-level officers to carry out their duties without bias.
"If anyone engages in malpractice, the responsibility will lie with them alone. The Election Commission will not take on that burden," Sanuallah warned.
"The number one reason behind the July Uprising was rotten elections. The electoral system has broken down, and that is why the country is in this state today," he told officials at the conference.
Overnight changes are not possible, but we are committed to delivering
Meanwhile, Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat Akhtar Ahmed acknowledged that the upcoming election will be more challenging than any in the past.
He identified preventing the misuse of artificial intelligence during the polls and ensuring voting rights for expatriates as two major challenges.
"We are working step by step on these issues. Overnight changes are not possible, but we are committed to delivering."
CEC AMM Nasir Uddin, four other commissioners, and over 800 first-class officials from across the country attended the conference, organised by the Bangladesh Election Commission Officers' Association (BECOA).
BECOA Convener Mohammad Monir Hossain noted that while the number of voters has increased 1.5 times, staffing has not kept pace, leaving officers to handle both electoral and NID services under severe strain.
