Experts call for stronger pre-election safeguards at Dhaka roundtable

A high-level roundtable on 'Fundamentals of Credible Elections: Institutions, Trust and Political Participation', convened by the Dhaka Forum Initiative (DFI), emphasised that electoral credibility in Bangladesh must be established well before polling day through strong institutions, legal clarity, digital safeguards and inclusive participation.

Held at Hotel Sarina in Dhaka, the roundtable brought together senior election experts from the region, diplomats, policymakers, civil society leaders, media representatives, and political stakeholders for a non-partisan, consultative discussion on the credibility of the pre-election system.

Key discussants included Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, standing committee member, BNP; Ahmed Akram, former vice chairman, Election Commission of Maldives; and Bobby Hajjaj, chairman, Nationalist Democratic Movement, who shared political and institutional perspectives on trust, participation and electoral governance.

Sharing regional experience, Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, former chief election commissioner, Nepal, warned that misinformation, hate speech and unregulated digital campaigning pose serious risks to electoral integrity.
'In today's world, electoral safeguards must also be digital. If the digital space is left unprotected, the credibility of the entire process is at stake,' he said, urging early preparation and institutional readiness.

Ramesh Adhikari, senior election and political processes expert, Nepal, said credible elections require a balance between human rights and institutional safeguards.
'Without the spirit of human rights, a vote is empty. Without strong institutions, that spirit remains unprotected,' he said, stressing the importance of independent election bodies, transparency and inclusive participation.

Moderating the discussion, Ashfaq Zaman, chief strategist, Dhaka Forum Initiative, said elections should be understood as systems rather than isolated events.
'Trust is built or broken through institutions, rules and behaviour long before a ballot is cast. Electoral credibility must belong to everyone, or it belongs to no one,' he said, highlighting Bangladesh's large, youthful and gender-balanced electorate.

Embassy representatives from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Kosovo, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan and Australia attended the discussion. They noted the overall environment, including the level of institutional preparation for the upcoming election, and welcomed the emphasis on early safeguards, transparency and inclusive stakeholder engagement. Several diplomats also stressed the importance of ensuring safe and meaningful participation of women voters.

Representatives from political parties also shared their perspectives. Arpona Roy, representative, BNP, highlighted the need for stronger safeguards for minority and marginalised communities in election planning, while Bobby Hajjaj called for greater preparation and transparency in the postal ballot system.

Major General A S M Ridwanur Rahman, director general, Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, said crisis response planning should be in place as a precaution, underscoring the importance of preparedness alongside preventive safeguards.

The two-hour programme included moderated panel discussions followed by open-floor exchanges. Key insights from the consultative discussion will be formally shared with relevant stakeholders, including the Election Commission.

The Dhaka Forum Initiative said the roundtable aimed to contribute to informed public discourse and sustained stakeholder engagement on electoral integrity as Bangladesh approaches its 2026 national parliamentary election. The roundtable was supported by Seacom Ltd, while The Business Standard was media partner of the event.