Minority concerns must be addressed as national issues if Bangladesh is to sustain democracy, speakers said at a report launch event organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS).
They warned that weak accountability, mob pressure, and institutional deficiencies continue to undermine inclusive and credible elections ahead of the 13th national parliamentary polls to be held on February 12.
The event, titled From Pledges to Practice: Political Inclusion & Democratic Accountability – Bangladesh’s Polls 2026, was held on Sunday morning at a city hotel in Dhaka.
The report examines the electoral experiences of minority and marginalized communities and assesses the extent to which constitutional commitments to equality and non-discrimination are reflected in practice.
Presenting the context of the study, CGS President Zillur Rahman said that although the report was prepared with the upcoming election in mind, it reflects a much deeper and long-standing democratic crisis rooted in structural inequality.
Recalling the core pledge of the 1971 Liberation War, Rahman said the promise of an egalitarian society remains unfulfilled more than five decades later. “The 2024 mass uprising was essentially against inequality,” he said, noting that disparities persist across gender, religion, identity, and geography.
Although the Constitution does not explicitly use the term “minority,” Rahman said the lived reality is that many communities remain politically and socially marginalized.
He added that misinformation, rumours, and cross-border disinformation have further complicated the situation, while recent developments show how the rule of law has been weakened and “dragged onto the streets through mob pressure.”
Highlighting gaps in political representation, Rahman noted that despite women making up nearly 51% of the population, political parties have nominated very few women candidates for the upcoming election. “Despite strong rhetoric on women’s empowerment, the BNP nominated only 10 women candidates,” he said.
He also criticized the disconnect between pre-election promises and post-election practice, saying political parties routinely publish ambitious manifestos that often have “no real value without accountability.”
He further pointed out that the populations of Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian communities—comparatively larger before 1947—have continued to decline since independence, underscoring the long-term nature of minority exclusion.
The CGS study covered hill and plains Indigenous peoples, religious minorities, socio-economically marginalized communities, and transgender populations. A total of 505 respondents were surveyed, including 115 from Indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, 125 from plains Indigenous communities, 165 from religious minorities, and 100 from socio-economically marginalized groups.
The research also included 10 key informant interviews with civil society members, journalists, and minority representatives, along with four regional roundtable discussions held in Dhaka, Sylhet, and Rangpur.
According to the findings, while most respondents are aware of their voting rights, many do not know where or how to report electoral irregularities or violence.
More than 50% of respondents reported feeling anxious during elections, while over 25% said they felt unsafe or extremely unsafe while participating in the voting process.
Fear of retaliation often leads to self-censorship and reduced political participation, the report found. It also highlighted deep distrust toward state institutions and political parties, which minority communities often perceive as treating them primarily as vote banks rather than meaningful stakeholders.
“A country cannot be called democratic if a minority citizen does not feel safe,” Rahman said. “If the most marginalized voter returns home after voting feeling insecure, the very meaning of that vote is questioned.”
Fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya said the interim government has exhausted its capacity for reform and accountability and is nearing the end of its effective tenure.
“The space they had for reform, the room they had for justice—they have run out of steam,” he said, adding that delivering a credible election is now the only meaningful task left for the interim administration.
He said whatever capacity and potential the government initially possessed has now reached its final limit. “What they can do now is ensure a good election,” he added.
Reacting to the CGS survey findings, Debapriya said there is a clear disconnect between the chief adviser’s rhetoric and actual practice. “He said people of all religions and identities would remain under one umbrella.
“But the umbrella was never opened—people are getting drenched in the rain,” he remarked.
Debapriya said the upcoming election is currently not sufficiently inclusive, though opportunities still exist to make it more participatory. “Whether women, marginalized groups, or people holding dissenting political views—everyone’s participation must be ensured,” he said.
He stressed that bringing marginalized communities to the polls and ensuring their security before and after voting is a responsibility the interim government must take seriously. Calling it the government’s last chance to leave a positive legacy, he said: “If this government can deliver one final good outcome—a credible and inclusive election—it may still secure a place, however small, in the pages of history.”
Election analyst and Sujan Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar said there has been little meaningful improvement in the conditions of marginalized communities over the years, despite repeated proposals for electoral reform.
As a result, he said, serious doubts persist over whether the upcoming election will be free, fair, and inclusive, with public trust in the electoral system continuing to erode.
He pointed to a patronage-based political culture in which individuals aligned with ruling parties rapidly accumulate wealth and influence, normalizing impunity and weakening democratic accountability.
Allegations of vote-buying, coercion, and manipulation remain common, while questions persist about the neutrality and effectiveness of election management bodies.
“Deficits in oversight, enforcement, and institutional independence have created widespread scepticism about election administration,” he said, stressing that restoring electoral integrity is essential to rebuilding public trust.
Constitutional commitments vs lived reality
Former UN official Dr Selim Jahan said the recurring question of how inclusive Bangladesh’s elections truly are reflects deep institutional failure.
Although the Constitution guarantees equal rights for all citizens, he said these commitments are repeatedly violated in practice, with minority rights and security inadequately protected. Limited access to education and political awareness further increases vulnerability, particularly for rural women voters in patriarchal settings where voting choices are often influenced or controlled by others.
“For many marginalized communities, elections are not civic celebrations but periods of heightened risk,” he said, noting that recurring election-related violence has eroded trust and participation.
The event was moderated by CGS President Zillur Rahman and attended by politicians, academics, economists, civil society representatives, journalists, and members of minority communities.