[🇧🇩] Forming Election Commission/Conducting Elections

[Saif]

Govt on right track over elections, says Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday said the interim government is on the right track over the national election. “We had detailed talks on accelerating the election process. The Chief Adviser reiterated his commitment to holding the national election between...

en.prothomalo.com

Govt on right track over elections, says Fakhrul

UNBDhaka
Published: 23 Jul 2025, 21: 33

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday said the interim government is on the right track over the national election.

“We had detailed talks on accelerating the election process. The Chief Adviser reiterated his commitment to holding the national election between mid-February and March. We believe necessary steps should be taken accordingly and he assured us they would be,” he said.

Fakhrul was talking to reporters at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office following a meeting with ‘Bangladesh Nationalist Ethnic Minority Party’.

Responding to a question from reporters over Tuesday night's meeting with the Chief Adviser, he said, “The Chief Adviser suddenly called us. He does it from time to time, especially when a crisis arises in government. We responded because we are committed to supporting this government and will do whatever is necessary to restore democracy.”

He said they believed such interactions should be held more frequently.

Referring to the recent jet crash in Uttara, the BNP leader said, “Many young lives were lost in the accident. I personally visited the site. We expressed our condolences. In the aftermath, two advisers were confined at Milestone School.”

“Again, due to complications surrounding the exams, students entered the Secretariat, and everyone saw that it created an administrative crisis. A few days earlier, fascist elements created chaos in Gopalganj. It felt like a sign of their resurgence,” he added.

He said the Chief Adviser told them that political parties had resisted the fascist forces and invited them for discussions.

“It's natural that this government will have flaws. But rather than focusing on the weaknesses, we should appreciate their intent. I don't see any lack of sincerity in their approach to the election,” Fakhrul said responding to another question.

When asked about the National Consensus Commission’s proposal that the head of government and the party chief should not be the same person, Fakhrul said, “That is their proposal. Political parties are expressing their opinions both in favor and against. All voices must be heard—that’s the essence of democracy. Let all flowers bloom.”

Asked whether the government showed any negligence in handling the situation over Uttara aircraft crash, he said, “There was no negligence, but there was a lack of experience. They have never run a state before. Unlike us, they lack the experience of governance.”

“One more issue is ego. They don’t consult us on anything. They don't take advice from us—perhaps out of ego,” he added.

In response to whether recent unrest is aimed at disrupting the election, Fakhrul said, “Some chaos is indeed happening. It’s clear that fascist forces are trying to stir up trouble.”​

 

[Saif]

Chief Adviser to announce election date in four to five days: Mustafa Jamal

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus will announce the date of the upcoming national parliamentary election within the next four to five days, said Mustafa Jamal Haider, Chairman of the Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar faction), after a meeting with the Chief Adviser along with leaders of 14 political pa

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Chief Adviser to announce election date in four to five days: Mustafa Jamal

FE Online Report
Published :
Jul 26, 2025 19:05
Updated :
Jul 26, 2025 19:05

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus will announce the date of the upcoming national parliamentary election within the next four to five days, said Mustafa Jamal Haider, Chairman of the Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar faction), after a meeting with the Chief Adviser along with leaders of 14 political parties at the state guest house, Jamuna, on Saturday.

Speaking to the media, Mustafa Jamal Haider said, “The Chief Adviser told us he will announce the election date within the next four to five days. There can be no better news than this.”

The Jatiya Party leader also commented that the ongoing unrest will be resolved through elections. “Many problems will be solved through the electoral process,” he said.

The political leaders who participated in the meeting on Saturday were Aminul Haque Tipu Biswas of the Jatiya Gano Front, Mostafa Jamal Haider of the 12-Party Alliance, Maulana Abdul Majed Athari of the Nezame Islam Party, Maulana Yusuf Ashraf of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Fariduzzaman Farhad, Chairman of the NPP (National People’s Party), Syed Ehsanul Huda, Chairman of the Jatiya Party, Dr Mushtaq Hossain of Bangladesh JASAD, Bobby Hajjaj of the Nationalist Democratic Movement, Shamim Haider, Secretary General of the Zaker Party, Mufti Sakhawat Hossain Raji, Secretary General of the Islami Oikya Jote, Rafiqul Islam Babul, Chairman of the Bhasani Janashakti Party, Dr Mostafizur Rahman Iran, Chairman of the Bangladesh Labour Party, Masud Rana, Coordinator of the Marxist–BASAD, and Manjurul Islam Afendi of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam.

Earlier, the Chief Adviser had held two rounds of meetings with leaders from various political parties and alliances, including the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. This day’s meeting involved representatives from 14 more parties and alliances.​

 

[Saif]

Fascism to return if polls held without reforms: discussion

Politicians and civil society members on Saturday said that fascism could return if the next elections were held under the existing political framework without comprehensive state reforms.

www.newagebd.net

Fascism to return if polls held without reforms: discussion
Staff Correspondent 26 July, 2025, 23:54

Politicians and civil society members on Saturday said that fascism could return if the next elections were held under the existing political framework without comprehensive state reforms.

They expressed their concern over the slow progress of the state reform initiatives being undertaken by the interim government.

They made the remarks during a citizens’ dialogue on the country’s democratic transition, organised by the Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik at the Krishibid Institute of Bangladesh in Dhaka.

Shujan, a citizens’ platform for good governance, presented a draft charter containing 21 proposals aimed at ensuring state reforms and free, fair elections.

The Key recommendations include the introduction of a bicameral parliament, balancing power between the president and the prime minister, forming a National Constitutional Council, reinstating the caretaker government system, decentralising the judiciary, and introducing a provision to recall lawmakers.

The Shujan acting president, Retired justice MA Matin, stressed that the charter should be formulated based on political consensus and people’s desire.

‘A provision must be made so that any law that contradicts the charter cannot be passed,’ he said.

Monir Haider, a special assistant to the chief adviser, admitted the slow progress over the state reform but said, ‘Even if revolutionary changes do not occur, implementing the agreed points will bring meaningful reforms to the state system.’

Shujan secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said, ‘Sheikh Hasina may have left, but she has left behind an authoritarian system. If we do not reform this system, authoritarian rule will persist and fascism will return.’

He said that Shujan’s proposed National Charter would be presented to the National Consensus Commission to help in the state reform.

‘The National Consensus Commission divided the reforms into two parts. Some reforms will be done by issuing ordinances, and some will need constitutional amendments,’ Badiul, also a member of the NCC, said.

NCC is trying to build consensus with political parties on basic reform issues to draft the July Charter,’ he said, and added that political parties had already agreed on 10 basic reform issues.

Local Government Reform Commission chief Professor Tofail Ahmed expressed his frustration over the lack of discussions on their unified draft law for local government.

‘If the government wants, it can issue ordinances within six months and form a local government commission,’ he said, urging immediate elections for local bodies.

Jasmin Tuli, who was a member of the Election Reform Commission, said, ‘In the past 53 years, no effort was made to build national consensus. Now we are seeing an attempt. I hope that necessary reforms will open the path for fair elections.’

She said, ‘Voters are often misled in different ways. In the coming elections, AI-based campaigns may confuse voters with false information. To hold fair elections, the right people must be appointed to the Election Commission.’

Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Shama Obaid dismissed the narratives that suggest BNP’s disinterest in reforms and said that many of BNP’s 31 points align with Shujan’s proposals.

‘We must first reform democratic institutions, the judiciary, and the Anti-Corruption Commission,’ she said, stressing the need for political will to implement the reform proposals.

Revolutionary Workers Party general secretary Saiful Haque termed the electoral system a ‘business entity’ and said that the alliance of mafia and evil forces would resurface if there was no systemic change.

National Citizen Party leader Tajnuba Jabin expressed her disappointment over the failure to ensure direct elections for women representatives, and said, ‘The NCP does not fear elections. It fears elections under the old system without any reforms. We want a democratic transformation of the state.’

Gono Odhikar Parishad president Nurul Haque Nur expressed his dissatisfaction with the interim government’s performance and called it ‘the weakest government in the past 53 years.’​

 

[Saif]

Election Commission must confront AI threats head-on

Effective safeguards are needed to prevent AI disruption in the election

www.thedailystar.net

Election Commission must confront AI threats head-on
Effective safeguards are needed to prevent AI disruption in the election

VISUAL: STAR

It is reassuring to see the chief election commissioner (CEC) address the challenge posed by artificial intelligence (AI) ahead of the upcoming election, which he described as "more dangerous than [conventional] weapons" due to its capacity to spread misinformation and disinformation. "It is now possible to circulate content using my exact image and voice," said AMM Nasir Uddin, calling the misuse of AI a "modern threat" capable of disrupting election campaigns and influencing the polls. He also mentioned other election-related challenges—such as the threat of illegal arms, restoring trust in the voting process, and ensuring voter turnout—but these are discussions for another day.

Knowing the problem doesn't guarantee that meaningful steps will follow, however. It is vital that the Election Commission implements effective safeguards including establishing robust monitoring mechanisms to detect AI-generated content, collaborating with experts and media houses to minimise its impact, updating legal frameworks, and raising public awareness. Currently, the electoral code of conduct lacks clear directives on this issue, which must be addressed. While conventional measures meant to ensure a level playing field are important, it is far more urgent now to curb the misuse of AI. This necessity is underscored by both global and local experiences, with a report by The New York Times revealing in June that AI was used in more than 80 percent of elections in 2024. AI has already played a role in at least nine major elections this year, it added.

With AI now making such fabrications easier and more convincing, the threat has multiplied. For example, a recent investigation by Dismislab catalogued 70 AI-generated political campaign videos, including reels, between June 18 and 28. These videos, created using Google's Veo text-to-video AI model, portrayed entirely fictional individuals (e.g. rickshaw drivers, garment workers, teachers, Hindu and Muslim women, young people, etc) offering endorsements for different political parties.

Locally, one may recall the circulation of fake content, including cloned voices of candidates, during recent elections. However, with AI now making such fabrications easier and more convincing, the threat has multiplied. For example, a recent investigation by Dismislab catalogued 70 AI-generated political campaign videos, including reels, between June 18 and 28. These videos, created using Google's Veo text-to-video AI model, portrayed entirely fictional individuals (e.g. rickshaw drivers, garment workers, teachers, Hindu and Muslim women, young people, etc) offering endorsements for different political parties. The initial waves of AI-generated messaging seemed to benefit Jamaat-e-Islami, but campaigners for rival parties like BNP and NCP are not far behind. The widespread circulation of such emotionally charged, synthetic content raises serious concerns about its disruptive effect as we near the election.

Clearly, we need better safeguards against this trend. While it is impossible to completely eliminate the threat of AI-generated content—nor is all such content produced with malicious intent—the EC must do all it can to limit its misuse with the help of relevant state agencies, political parties, and social media platforms. It is crucial to learn from the experiences of other countries where AI has already disrupted elections. Without swift, informed interventions, Bangladesh too risks seeing its much-awaited election marred by such technologies.​

 

[Saif]

Election preparations underway: 150,000 police to be trained

The government has taken initiative to strengthen coordination among law enforcement agencies as part of its extensive security preparations ahead of the upcoming general elections. A total of 150,000 police personnel will be given special election-related training in phases from September to...

en.prothomalo.com

Election preparations underway: 150,000 police to be trained
Staff Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 28 Jul 2025, 18: 46

Chief adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam and deputy press secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder briefed the newspersons after the meeting on Monday. Prothom Alo

The government has taken initiative to strengthen coordination among law enforcement agencies as part of its extensive security preparations ahead of the upcoming general elections.

A total of 150,000 police personnel will be given special election-related training in phases from September to November.

The decision was taken in a top level meeting on law and order, preventing disinformation and administrative preparations for the upcoming polls at the state guest house Jamuna today, Monday.

Several other major decisions also came up from the meeting presided over by chief adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

Chief adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam and deputy press secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder briefed the newspersons after the meeting.

Press secretary Shafiqul Alam quoted the inspector general of police (IGP) as saying, “They (police) will be working as the striking force and play the major role to maintain law and order.”

“The army is already active at the field level with magistracy power since 5 August last year,” he said adding that 60,000 army personnel will be deployed during the polls.

Shafiqul Alam said the government is considering forming a ‘National Information Centre’ as the spread of rumours and misinformation tends to rise during elections.

“The centre will quickly identify and counter rumours and deliver accurate information to the public,” he said, adding, “It will also help promote the positive and immediate actions taken by law enforcement agencies, which often go unnoticed due to a lack of publicity.”

Speaking regarding the recent criticism centering the intelligence failure to provide any information before the unrest that unfolded in several parts of the country in recent times including Gopalganj, Shafiqul Alam said, “The government has already formed a probe commission headed by a former Supreme Court justice over the matter.

He said intelligence agencies have been instructed to work in a more coordinated manner and gather information in advance to avoid such failures in the future.

Election-related administrative reshuffles also came up at the meeting. On this, deputy press secretary Abul Kalam Azad said, “There will be changes not across the board, but only where necessary.”

He added that law enforcement agencies have been instructed to swiftly identify potential election ‘hotspots’—areas where violence or unrest could occur. They have also been directed to send reports on the situation in those areas to the centre so that additional security measures can be taken if needed.

At the start of the day, US Chargé d’Affaires Tracy Ann Jacobson held meetings with top government officials. The discussions focused on counterterrorism efforts, political dialogue through the consensus commission, and tariffs, press secretary Shafiqul Alam said.

“The government is maintaining a zero-tolerance policy on counterterrorism and giving top priority to election security,” he added.

The press secretary expressed hope that with strong coordination among the army, police, and civil administration, the country is moving towards a safe and fair election.​