Political parties participating in the Election Commission’s (EC) ongoing dialogue have called for clear assurances of credible elections and practical measures to restore public trust ahead of the 13th parliamentary polls.
The discussions took place at Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon on Wednesday, marking the fourth day of talks with political parties.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar raised concerns over recent transfers of deputy commissioners and other officials, saying the sudden reshuffles appeared “designed” and lacked transparency.
He reiterated Jamaat’s proposal for a lottery-based system for DC–SP transfers after the election schedule is announced, calling it the “most neutral and trustworthy method.”
Parwar also demanded deployment of at least five army personnel at every polling station, saying the presence of only one soldier would have little impact on ensuring security.
National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari urged the EC to retain its authority even if political alliances form under a single symbol.
He expressed concern about eligible first-time voters born on election day being excluded from the voter list.
He also sought clearer guidelines on the referendum process and raised concerns over increasing cyberbullying targeting women.
Zonayed Saki, chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolan, proposed amendments to ensure a level playing field for new and small parties.
His proposals included larger, clearly printed electoral symbols, flexibility for alliance-based candidacy, separate booths and counting systems for national polls and referendums, and publicly announcing the number of security personnel deployed at centres.
He also called for including mobile financial service (MFS) transactions in campaign finance disclosures, revising poster and festoon limits, and allowing the use of one microphone per union or ward. If uncontrolled poster printing cannot be prevented, he said the EC should designate specific poster zones with fixed quotas.
National Democratic Movement (NDM) Secretary General Mominul Amin said the EC must exercise its full authority once the election schedule is announced to ensure a fair and acceptable vote.
Bangladesh Minority Janata Party President Sukriti Kumar Mandal demanded strict security by law enforcement, including the army, for seven days before and 10 days after polling day.
Bangladesh Labour Party Chairman Mostafizur Iran said the EC must position itself “above all questions,” while Insaniyat Biplob Secretary General Sheikh Raihan Rahbar suggested introducing a mobile digital thumb verification system to improve turnout amid political uncertainty.
Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah said the EC would issue further circulars if needed to clarify the election code of conduct. On AI misuse and online harassment, he said a dedicated cell was being set up to respond to digital threats, adding: “We will fight bad information with good information.”
He also highlighted concerns regarding illegal weapons, drugs, and cross-border activities. Law enforcement agencies, he said, had already recovered 81% of missing weapons and 73% of arms lost in missions.
The Bangladesh Army has requested the deployment of 80,000 to 100,000 personnel. A total of 42,671 polling centres are expected in the upcoming election, with additional forces allocated to regional reserves, mobile teams, and striking units.