February polls will be free of past irregularities: EC Sanaullah
“The February polls will be transparent, participatory, and credible with the cooperation of all stakeholders,” he says
Highlights
- EC vows no repeat of past irregular polls
- Voters, agents, media, observers key safeguards
- EC to ensure safe and peaceful voting
- Gazette seen as proof of fair polls
- EC can suspend polls or party symbols
Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah has assured that upcoming national parliamentary elections will no longer suffer the irregularities seen in the past.
"The February polls will be transparent, participatory, and credible with the cooperation of all stakeholders," he told journalists at a briefing regarding amendments to the Representation of the People Order 1972 (RPO) at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital's Agargaon today (3 September).
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Responding to a question on whether presiding officers should control journalist access at polling centres given past misconduct, Sanaullah said, "In the election you are referring to, there were likely no proper voters, the lines were not real, candidates' agents were absent, journalists were not properly present, and observers were missing.
"Such elections will never happen again in Bangladesh."
He added that in the upcoming elections, the primary focus will be on voters themselves, followed by voters' agents, with journalists and observers acting as facilitators. "Our goal is to ensure that every voter can cast their vote in an orderly manner, at the designated time."
Sanaullah emphasised that the Election Commission's role is not just to catch violators but to conduct the entire electoral process correctly, peacefully, and credibly.
"Our job is not just to catch the corrupt. Our job is to manage the election process so that citizens can vote safely and the democratic process is properly completed," he said.
When asked about certifying elections as free and fair, the commissioner said, "Much discussion has already taken place. The commission publishes gazettes. If the EC does not consider an election fair, it cannot publish it.
"Therefore, our gazette publication itself serves as certification that the EC has taken responsibility."
He also noted that under the amended RPO, the commission has the power to suspend elections, cancel results for one or more constituencies, and suspend a party's symbol if its activities are halted, preventing them from participating in the elections.
