We applaud the Election Commission's (EC) recent directive to prohibit election campaigning inside educational institutions, government offices, and foreign lands. However, while it is certainly a commendable step towards ensuring a fair and distraction-free electoral process, these directives will remain mere words unless effectively implemented.
With the elections next year looking to be increasingly pivotal in shaping the trajectory of our nation, it is important to try and create an environment where voters can make informed decisions without undue pressure or disruption. As such, banning campaign posters and curbing excessive billboards and noisy rallies are certainly aligned with a more thoughtful approach to minimizing campaign excesses.
It is imperative therefore to ensure that these directives are taken seriously; Bangladesh has a history of election rules falling on deaf ears, as demonstrated by the very recent directive banning campaign posters that has all but fallen on deaf ears.
Such disregard only undermines the authority of the EC, and for a nation that has been crying for a more functional EC for some time now, this sends a very troubling message.
For better elections, enforcement must be consistent, impartial, and transparent. Without accountability for violations, rules will continue to be flouted, hindering the election's credibility that is already facing sufficient challenges and certain nefarious entities home and abroad who are looking to derail us from them.
We expect the EC therefore to identify and publicize violations and, if necessary, impose penalties without fear or favour. This will set the right kind of example and signal to the nation that this is not an EC that is synonymous with powerlessness. Civil society and the media also have a part to play here in monitoring compliance and helping to enhance public awareness and support for these efforts.
Given the magnitude of the upcoming elections, progressive and necessary steps to safeguard these elections must be upheld. As such, we need serious commitment to enforcement so that we can have the free, clean electoral process we have been longing for.