'Five deaths linked to polls, not 15': CAO disputes TIB report on election violence

The Chief Advisor’s Office challenges the methodology behind the watchdog’s report

The Chief Advisor’s Office (CAO) says the figures cited in a recent report by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on election-related killings require careful verification and contextual assessment, warning against their “blind repetition”.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the CAO noted that TIB reported the deaths of 15 political leaders and activists in the 36 days following the announcement of the election schedule.

While the figure has gained prominence in public discourse, the statement said it has been circulated without sufficient verification and deserves closer scrutiny.

According to police records, the statement said, only five of the killings during that period can be directly linked to political affiliation or election-related activities.

One of those cases involved Inqilab Moncho convenor Sharif Osman bin Hadi, who was shot dead by assailants riding a motorcycle.

Describing the killing as particularly brutal, the statement said the attack was intended not only to silence a young political leader but also to spread fear and instability during a sensitive political moment.

However, it added, that objective was not achieved.

“The country did not spiral into retaliatory violence, and the election process has not been derailed.”

The statement acknowledged that every killing is condemnable but argued that TIB’s presentation lacked essential context.

Political violence during elections, it said, is not a new phenomenon in Bangladesh.

Citing previous polls, the CAO noted that six people were killed during the 2024 election, 22 people died in election-related violence in 2018, and at least 115 people were killed during the 2014 election, which it described as having been rigged by the then government.

Viewed against this historical backdrop, the statement said, it is unreasonable to portray the current pre-election situation as evidence of a serious breakdown in law and order.

The discrepancy between TIB’s figures and official data, the statement said, does not stem from any attempt to withhold information. Rather, it reflects a difference in methodology, the CAO said.

“The difference between TIB’s figures and the official data is not a cover-up. It is a disagreement over how deaths are classified,” it read.

According to the statement, TIB appears to have classified all killings of individuals affiliated with political parties as election-related, regardless of whether a political motive could be established.

“The government, by contrast, counts only deaths with direct and provable links to electoral activity,” it added.

Conflating these two approaches, the statement warned, creates confusion about the actual situation and may unnecessarily heighten perceptions of insecurity.

The CAO said it does not claim that public security is currently flawless.

“Let’s be clear: public security is not in perfect shape. Years of politicised policing and abuse under the Hasina government destroyed public trust, which is why people from all walks of life demanded an interim, non-partisan government.”

Since assuming office, the interim government has removed or dismissed officials credibly accused of torture, reviewed the role of specialised security units, initiated criminal proceedings in cases of enforced disappearances and torture, and issued clear directives aimed at regulating police conduct during rallies and elections, the statement said.

It also pointed to what it described as signs of progress, noting that three highly emotional and unprecedented public events -- the funerals of Hadi and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, as well as the return of BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman -- were all conducted peacefully.

These events demonstrate that restraint and professionalism are now possible where they were previously absent, the statement said.

While acknowledging that no government can guarantee the complete prevention of violence -- particularly when influential groups actively seek to create chaos -- the statement said the present circumstances differ markedly from those of past elections.

Security forces are operating under close scrutiny, political parties and civil society groups are engaged in dialogue and cooperation, and international observers are present on the ground, it said.

“Together, these conditions give real reason to believe that this election can finally end the cycle of fear and violence that defined previous elections.”