State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat said that the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report on the election was made without following international standards.
He said: “No international journal will publish their research. This is because international standards have not been maintained in this study.”
He made this comment to reporters at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting meeting room at the Secretariat on Thursday afternoon.
The state minister said: “Those who have done this research on the parliamentary elections have no research experience. They have no research work published in international journals. TIB research goes beyond scientific misconduct. They are trying to mislead people with false information.”
He said: “I believe that the civil society of Bangladesh will conduct research following international standards with honesty and dedication and present its results to the people. What TIB has done is not research, it is their opinion.”
The state minister said that although there were some irregularities in the election, the Election Commission has taken action against them. A case has also been filed against those who have committed irregularities.
“Election Commission's strong stand against irregularities was not given importance. Rather, an attempt has been made to weaken their morale by spreading lies,” Arafat added.
He said: “They showed people's opinion as information. A report made around the entire election with the results of only 50 out of 42,000 centres can never be accurate. How is it possible to publish a report analyzing the results of so few centres?”
On Wednesday, TIB published a study to assess the transparency and fairness of the 12th national parliament election, focusing on creating a participatory, robust, and impartial electoral process.
The study aims to analyze the role of key stakeholders, compliance with electoral laws and codes of conduct, and the campaign expenses of participating candidates.
This initiative follows a series of reforms undertaken since the 1990s to enhance the electoral system’s acceptability, with amendments and reforms continuing to be implemented.
The study adopts a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, utilizing primary sources such as key informant interviews and civil society surveys.
Secondary data is sourced from relevant laws, research reports, and media articles.
The scope of the study encompasses observation and analysis of both pre- and post-election events, covering activities of the Election Commission, political parties, and other stakeholders in election-related affairs.
The study period, conducted from June 2023 to January 2024, aims to provide insights into the electoral process’s strengths and challenges, contributing to ongoing efforts to enhance transparency and fairness in Bangladesh’s parliamentary democratic system.