Commonwealth delegation evaluates Bangladesh voting environment, security plans

The delegation will meet political parties, civil society, international donors, diplomats, and media representatives to review preparations

A Commonwealth delegation has visited Bangladesh to assess the electoral environment and security ahead of the national elections, focusing particularly on the safety of polling centres and surrounding areas.

On Sunday, the team, led by Linford Andrews, advisor of the Commonwealth’s Electoral Support branch and head of Pre-Election Assessment, met with the Election Commission.

After the meeting, EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said the delegation was informed about ongoing dialogue with election stakeholders and expressed interest in observing the pre-election, election day, and post-election periods.

“They also asked about the postal voting system and how disputes are handled,” he said.

The delegation was updated on EC reforms, including implementation of past recommendations, the functioning of five EC committees, adherence to election codes of conduct, and compliance with court directives.

On law and order, Akhtar said the delegation inquired about measures taken for security.

“We explained that we maintain regular communication with security personnel, and all measures will be implemented progressively. They highlighted two specific areas: security at polling stations and the broader electoral environment.”

Other topics discussed included crowd management training, preventing AI misuse, combating misinformation, and general electoral preparedness.

The pre-election assessment mission (PEAM) also includes Dinusha Panditaratne, Nancy Kayago, Sarthak Roy, and Madonna Lynch. Andrews noted that as per Commonwealth practice, the mission has been sent by the secretary-general to observe elections and engage with all stakeholders.

“We will remain until Oct 31, meeting political parties, civil society, international donors, diplomats, media, and other stakeholders,” he said.

Preparations for the parliamentary elections, scheduled for the first half of February before Ramadan next year, are ongoing according to the EC’s roadmap, with the official schedule expected to be announced in early December.