Free and fair elections cannot be ensured if an election-time government exhibits bias, said Dr Iftekharuzzaman, member of the National Consensus Commission and executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), on Friday.
He made the remarks at the inauguration of an election training program organized by the Election Commission journalists’ organization RFEED and TIB at TIB’s Dhanmondi office.
“If political parties do not want a fair election, conducting a neutral election will be difficult. That is why it is essential to ensure the neutrality of election observers and media personnel,” he said.
Noting that many close associates of the Awami League government are now in administrative positions, Iftekharuzzaman emphasized the need to proceed with caution.
He also highlighted the long-standing challenges in Bangladesh’s governance system. “Our infrastructure—governance, accountability, institutional transparency, and integrity—has been built over a long process spanning nearly 54 years. Many institutions have been politicized, creating professional conflicts. Some functions have been implemented, while many have been left ineffective,” he said.
He cautioned that reorganizing the administration to ensure fairness is not a quick process. “In just one to one-and-a-half years, it is difficult to restructure the entire system. That is why people ask whether we can expect truly fair elections under the current administration. The question is valid, because one cannot say that agents or collaborators of previous governments are absent from the administration and law enforcement agencies,” he added.
Iftekharuzzaman further noted that while some individuals have been deprived of opportunities for long periods, attempts to regain positions have also been politicized. “At the same time, there are officials striving to remain neutral and maintain professionalism. The administration is being shaped in the tension among these forces, and they will play their roles. However, it is impossible to change the system overnight or completely reorganize the administration,” he said.
He concluded that time is needed to establish stability and foster a new kind of professionalism within the administration.