The ground reality shows that the Election Commission (EC) has, so far, miserably failed to ensure a conducive atmosphere for holding a free and credible election.
Experts came up with the observation at a seminar titled ‘The challenges of electoral integrity in Bangladesh,’ organised by the Centre for Governance Studies’ in the city on Tuesday.
They also pointed out that the EC seems to be reluctant to ending the violence that has started since the beginning of the campaign for the upcoming general elections scheduled to be held on December 30.
“The EC has apparently failed to ensure a level-playing field,” former adviser to a caretaker government M Hafizuddin Khan told the seminar.
He said that the present system prescribed in our constitution has created an elected autocracy in the country and there is a need to ensure check and balance in the system through amending the constitution.
Brig Gen (retd) Shakhawat Hussain said, voters are found nonchalant over exercising their voting rights in the upcoming election which is dangerous.
The EC has the responsibility to ensure that a constituency is being contested by all political parties but it is unfortunate that seven constituencies are going to have no candidates though the aspirants were okayed by the EC.
In his concluding remarks, Prof Ataur Rahman said a credible and fair election is a pre-condition to ensure democratic practices.
Keeping this in mind the EC has to take a proactive role, he added.
