Foreign observers, including those from the US, Canada, Russia, OIC and the Arab Parliament, termed Sunday’s general elections as free, fair, peaceful, and legitimate.
They praised the election process in Bangladesh, with one observer pointing out that the caretaker government system over which the opposition BNP boycotted the polls was anti-democratic.
“It's been a very fair and free process for people walking in. There's a lot of good security and a very transparent process,” Shaoquett Moselmane, who came from Australia to observe the election, said.
“I found the election to be very peaceful, free, and fair,” said Jim Bates, a former US Congressman, at a press conference at the end of the polling.
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The government invited a large number of foreign observers from different countries and multilateral organizations to observe the elections amid the opposition boycott.
The observers visited different polling centres in the capital Dhaka and adjacent districts and later shared their experiences at the press conference.
Some of them even visited the polling centres before the start of voting at 8am to check ballot stuffing.
Andrey Y Shutov from the Russian election commission, CEO of the central election commission of Palestine Hisham Kuhail, Mohamadou Musa Njie of the Gambia High Commission, Scottish MP Martyn Day, head of the election unit of the OIC Shakir Mahmood Bandar, member of Arab Parliament Abdihakim Moalliam, executive director of South Asia Democratic Forum Paulo Casaca, Members of the Canadian Parliament Victor OH and Chandrakanth Arya, among others, shared their experiences.
However, none of them spoke about any irregularities.
The voter turnout was around 40%.
Former US Congressman Jim Bates suggested voting hours be extended to increase the turnout.
“Elections in Bangladesh have the shortest voting hours, from 8am to 4pm, compared to other countries of the world,” he said, adding that the voting hours in many countries stretch up to 9 pm from the morning, while in California the voting starts one month before the polls.
South Asia Democratic Forum Executive Director Paulo Casaca said that the electoral process is “very good, marvellous and magnificent” in Bangladesh.
He said Bangladesh is taking the process of democracy much farther than in any other country.
Paulo Casaca is a former Portuguese MP and member of the European Parliament.
He also said that the caretaker government system only exists in Pakistan.
"In Bangladesh, it was also used. But fundamentally this is anti-democratic," he said.
"Democracy is, of course, a choice. Of course, it’s polarization, but it cannot be toxic polarization. The choice was taken out by your main opposition by not showing up," he said, when asked about the opposition boycott.
"But what is the alternative? It's a coup d’état. Is this a good thing? Is the dictator and coup d’état the best alternative to low turnout?' he said when asked about the low turnout of voters.
CEO of American Global Strategies Alexander B Gray shared his experiences after visiting 10 polling centres.
“I saw with my own eyes that the election was free and fair, and professionally administered, having high degree of enthusiasm from the voters, polling staffs and others concerned,”
He said not a single voter or anyone expressed their concerns and complaints to him.
“This election met the highest standards of democratic accountability and professionalism and I’m very much convinced that the Election Commission has operated professionally and with integrity,” he said.
Member of the central election commission of the Russian Federation Andrey Y Shutov said that the voters were very active in Bangladesh and thus all candidates and voters were involved in the political process.
“These determined people can decide the future of this country and it makes us think that this election is legitimate”.
Shutov said he was impressed by the openness and transparency of the election, while each voter got all information about polls.
“This election was open and transparent and we think that the electoral system in Bangladesh is efficient. Bangladesh has a long tradition of elections …the political process of Bangladesh is developing in a stable way,” he said.
Chandrakanth Arya from Canada, said that a record number of over 1,900 candidates representing some 28 political parties took part in the election, where all the candidates have free access to people and there was no hindrance in campaigning on their own behalf.
“We would like to congratulate the Election Commission for conducting a very free, fair and successful election. I would like to recognise and commend the excellent work of the election commission in marshalling all the government institutions of the state in delivering a free, fair, peaceful and successful election,” he said.
He termed the BNP election boycott “tactical or strategic” and said the decision of that political party was in their own interest. “It’s not our job to comment on the judgment of that decision,”
“The election process was free, so we accepted it,” he said.
Martin Day, an MP from Scotland, said that the polling process was “very smooth and quite impressive” although the voter turnout was a bit low.
Hisham Kuhail of Palestine said: “What we saw today is a good voting process in a voting day…nobody forces anyone to vote,”
He also observed that the election process was “quiet and peaceful”.
“There was efficient use of available resources, the presiding officers were competent, while the participants were very happy with the voting process,” he said.
Shakir Mahmood Bandar from the OIC, congratulated the government for the “successful” holding of the elections.
“Till now the election is being conducted fairly,” he said after 5pm, when the counting was still going on.
