The Electoral Reform Commission is currently defining its scope of work and will present a complete plan next week, according to its head, Badiul Alam Majumder.
Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, Secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), told Dhaka Tribune: "Our commission will work to implement the necessary reforms. Right now, we are focusing on planning and scoping out those areas. However, the full commission will finalize the specific changes to be made."
He further said: "Consensus will be the roadmap for electoral reform. We hope to present a reform plan within the next month."
Following political changes in Bangladesh, the demand for state reform has grown significantly. In this context, Dr Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh's interim government, entrusted six prominent citizens with the responsibility of reforming six major institutions.
After the formation of five reform commissions, the Cabinet Department officially announced the formation of the "Constitution Reform Commission," along with the names of the commission members.
The official journey began on Monday with the issuance of the notification regarding the six commissions announced by the Chief Adviser. The new interim government has promised to hold the next elections only after reforms in various state institutions, with particular emphasis on electoral system reform.
The election system has been one of the most controversial issues in Bangladesh. The last three national elections were marred by controversy, and there were various allegations around local government elections. Criticism has also been directed at the Election Commission over its role in organizing the elections.
The Electoral Reform Commission will review the country’s electoral system. Starting with electoral laws, the commission will propose changes to correct flaws in the recruitment process. Badiul Alam Majumder, who has long worked on Bangladesh's electoral system, now serves as the head of the Electoral System Reform Commission.
The commission members include Dr. Tofail Ahmed, a local government and election affairs expert; Jesmin Tuli, a former Additional Secretary of the Election Commission (EC) Secretariat; Md. Abdul Alim, an election expert; Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman, a political analyst; Mir Nadia Nivin, an institutional reform expert; Mohammad Sadek Ferdus, an expert in electronic voting and blockchain; and a student representative.
Election analyst Professor Tofail Ahmed said: “Attention is being given to election procedures, election laws, and the provisions related to the Election Commission. If the constitution is reformed, other related works will also need to be addressed.”
Regarding an acceptable path for reform, Badiul Alam Majumder noted that the opinions of all stakeholders, including political parties and student movements, are being considered.
"A consensus based on everyone's input would be ideal," he said.
One of the main priorities of the reform proposal will be to amend the Election Commission Appointment Act of 2022. Additionally, other key electoral laws, such as the Representation of the People Order, the law for preparing electoral rolls, and the law for delimiting boundaries, will also be reformed.
The Election Commission will be tasked with appointing the right individuals based on transparency and accountability to the people, ensuring they are not loyal to any political party. Further, changes will be made to the affidavit system, including stricter scrutiny of affidavits and election expenses.
