Leaders of the Election Monitoring Forum (EMF) on Tuesday informed the Election Exploratory Mission from European Union (EU) that the Election Commission has proven its “impartiality, grit and capability” in holding free and fair polls in five city corporations held recently.
Though a major political party did not participate in the recently held elections in the five city corporations, a large part of their former councillors and local leaders took part in the elections and were elected, the EMF leaders said.
In all the local elections that have been held recently, the EMF leaders said, they have observed that the government has not interfered or influenced the elections and has fully cooperated with the Election Commission in maintaining a law and order situation.
The chairman of the Election Monitoring Forum, Professor Mohammad Abed Ali, was present during the meeting.
Advisor of the Election Monitoring Forum and former Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, directors of the forum – Vice-Chancellor of DUET Prof M Habibur Rahman and BUET Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Abdul Jabbar Khan – were also present at the meeting.
During the meeting, the EMF leaders said that the current Election Commission has recently implemented strict monitoring of the law-and-order situation with CCTV cameras to ensure the safety of voters in local elections and the cancellation of elections due to irregularities in Gaibandha by-election has boosted the confidence of voters.
The EMF leaders feel that there is a need to analyze not only the 2014 and 2018 elections but also the results of 1996, 2001 and 2008 elections and the various complaints of the defeated opposition parties.
Welcoming the representatives of the EU mission, the EMF leaders said despite Bangladesh not being a member of the European Union, they are looking at the EU’s interest in polls in Bangladesh with a positive attitude.
However, the people of the country do not support external interference in the electoral system or process of Bangladesh, according to a media release issued by the EMF.
The visiting delegation began their activities in Bangladesh on Sunday to assess the situation on the ground ahead of the country’s upcoming national election.
Delegation leader Chelleri Riccardo and his team held a number of meetings
