Bangladesh voters ready to shake off apathy for peaceful, fair and competitive election

The Election Commission faces myriad challenges with the next general election less than a year away

The Election Commission led by Kazi Habibul Awal recently passed one year in office. Now, with the next parliamentary polls less than a year away, they face challenges on several fronts.

Voter apathy tops the list of these challenges, experts believe, as Bangladesh is set to observe National Voters Day on Thursday with the theme: “Let’s enrol for voting and vote for the most eligible candidate.”

The voters are looking to a peaceful, free and fair election with a lot of competition after bitter experiences with polls marked by boycott, violence and allegations of rigging in recent years.

“Only free and fair elections can bring our trust back in elections. Otherwise, I won’t go to the polling station. I feel frightened because of trouble and when I can’t cast my ballot without any biases,” said Rina Akter, a senior citizen.

The Election Commission will also release an updated voter roll on Thursday. With the new voters, the list will have 119 million names.

The turnout hit a record 87 percent in the ninth parliamentary polls in 2008, but it fell to 40 percent in 147 seats in the 2014 elections as the candidates for the 153 other seats were elected uncontested amid a boycott by the BNP and its allies.

In 2018, the turnout rose to 80 percent as the BNP joined the race. It alleged widespread irregularities and announced a decision to stay away from elections under the current Awami League government. The BNP has repeatedly said it will not join the next election without a caretaker government in power.

Lutfunnahar Forkan, who cast her vote for the first time in 2018, said she would cast her ballot again in the next election because she did not want to waste her opinion. “And the chances of irregularities will increase if we don’t vote.”

Banker Halim Bhuiyan is also interested in going to the polling station on voting day. “Otherwise, the candidate I don’t like may be elected.”

Election analyst Dr Abdul Alim thinks voter apathy has become the main obstacle in staging proper elections.

For that, he said, all parties must participate in the elections, he said.

In the recently held Gaibandha-5 by-election, the turnout was 38 percent. Around 28 percent of voters cast their ballots in the by-election to the six seats left by the BNP.

The election law in Bangladesh does not mention how many voters are required to make an election legitimate, which is a weakness in the electoral system, Alim believes.

“It’s not legitimate in the international standard. Low turnout makes elections questionable.”

Election Commissioner Ahsan Habib said they took steps whenever allegations of intimidation or irregularities surfaced during elections.

“We’re working to motivate the voters all the time.”

He also criticised politicians for questioning free and fair elections only in the case of their loss. “We need everyone’s cooperation.”

[Additional reporting by Jagannath University Correspondent Sabikunnahar Lipi; writing in English by Osham-ul-Sufian Talukder]