Election observers or political props? Reviewing their roles in last 3 polls under AL

Highlights

• 'Dubious' observer groups were allowed to monitor the last three AL-era polls
• Media reports and experts say many of these groups echoed pro-govt narratives
• Major observers like EU, NDI, IRI, Carter Centre stayed away 
• Lesser-known bodies like SAARC Human Rights Foundation, BHRC, BEMP, OIC, Janipop filled the gap

In the last three widely controversial general elections under the Awami League government, ousted in August last year after over a 15-year rule, several observer groups — many reportedly lacking proper offices or websites — were allowed to monitor the polls. 

According to media reports, these groups largely echoed pro-government views, often overlooking irregularities.

Even election experts questioned the role of some nominal observer groups. 

Tofail Ahmed, a member of the Electoral Reform Commission, told TBS that the many foreign observers in the previous three national polls were "not real."

"They were created by the then government and were biased," he said, adding that these groups will not even apply for observing polls this time.

"Local observer organisations in Bangladesh are business-oriented. They treat elections as a business," Tofail said.

He emphasised that there are credible foreign observer organisations with international reputations that conduct election observations worldwide. These reputable groups should be invited to monitor elections in Bangladesh.

Who observed 2014, 2018, 2024 polls?

In 2014, major international organisations such as the European Union (EU), National Democratic Institute (NDI), International Republican Institute (IRI), and the Carter Centre refrained from sending observers due to the BNP's boycott and prevailing political instability.

In their absence, smaller regional and local bodies like the SAARC Human Rights Foundation, Bangladesh Human Rights Council (BHRC), Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Bangladesh Election Monitoring Council (BEMP), and Jatiyo Nirbachon Porishod (Janipop) stepped in, with the implicit approval of the ruling party at the time.

The 2018 election, in which almost all major parties, including the BNP, participated, saw a much larger number of domestic and international observers. 

These included the Commonwealth Secretariat, OIC, SAARC Human Rights Foundation, Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

Despite allegations of vote rigging, centre takeovers, and ballot stuffing the night before the polls, some observer groups declared the election relatively free and fair.

In 2024, with most opposition parties again boycotting the election, the former Awami League government still reported the presence of 127 international observers, including from the EU, UK, Japan, and India, according to then Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.

Among the observer organisations, the SAARC Human Rights Foundation was cited as an international body, although it is based in Bangladesh and allegedly linked to political figures. 

In 2019, the foundation's chairman was Awami League MP RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, while several of its advisers were aligned with the ruling party or its allies, violating EC guidelines prohibiting politically affiliated individuals from holding executive positions in observer organisations.

The SAARC foundation claimed to have deployed 5,700 observers across the country in 2018, including eight foreigners from Canada, Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka. However, there is little clarity on whether these individuals were trained or familiar with the EC's observer guidelines.

The organisation lacks a proper operational structure. Its only office is a ground-floor room in a residential building in the capital's Mirpur 12, which remains closed most of the time. Staff are often unaware of the foundation's activities. 

Its website and Facebook page were dominated by its Secretary General Mohammad Abed Ali, who was seen publicly praising former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and echoing her government's positions, raising further questions about impartiality.

Funding sources for their observation activities also remain unclear. 

While the organisation claims it relies on private donations and support from expatriates, there's little transparency on how it finances accommodation, transport, and the costs of international observers during the elections.

Despite widespread allegations of vote rigging and electoral fraud in 2018, the SAARC Human Rights Foundation and the Election Monitoring Forum held a press conference at the National Press Club declaring the election freer and fairer than previous ones. 

They claimed to have deployed 5,765 local observers and observed 17,165 polling stations across 214 constituencies.

Foreign observers present at the event included Canadian labour market analyst Tanya Dawn Foster, rights activist Chally Dawn Foster, and two senior members of Nepal's Communist Party.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, appointed by the current interim government, said yesterday that foreign observers who had previously legitimised elections with such serious allegations of irregularities would not be allowed to monitor future elections.

In response, Mohammad Abed Ali, secretary general of SAARC Human Rights Foundation, told TBS, "Who is the CEC to decide who can or cannot observe the polls? If the EU wants to send more observers than the four they sent last time, he has no authority to stop them."

He added that poll observation groups are not responsible for judging the legality of an election. "We observe and report what we see during polling hours. There's no room for covert investigations. Under EC rules, observers can only monitor during a specific timeframe," he said.

"We held a press conference in 2018 to share our views. But in 2024, since we didn't see a participatory election, we chose not to issue any opinion," he said.

"While 2018 was participatory with a peaceful environment, how can we say if voting happened at night or day?" he added.

"Observers can't declare an election valid or invalid. Their role is to report any irregularities they see to the Election Commission," Abed Ali said.

Election Monitoring Forum: A shadowy group with no clear identity

The "Election Monitoring Forum," which surfaced during the 2018 national election, raises many questions about its existence. Before and after the polls, this group was unheard of—even experienced observer organisations were unfamiliar with it.

It has no office, website, social media, or records of prior activity. Despite claiming to have monitored 17,000 polling centres across 214 constituencies, it lacks the visible structure, trained observers, and registration needed for such large-scale work.

Moreover, some international observers from the US, Canada, Russia, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) praised the 2024 election as free, fair, and peaceful — a stance that raised eyebrows given the boycott by all major opposition parties.

Former Canadian MP Chandra Arya said they had unrestricted access to polling stations and congratulated Bangladesh's Election Commission for conducting a successful election.

Canadian Senator Victor Oh and American Global Strategies CEO Alexander B Gray also commended the fairness and professionalism of the process after observing multiple centres.

However, it has been alleged that several of these observers were brought in by the former ruling party to help legitimise the election.

A few did express concerns about low voter turnout, calling it lower than expected.