The 13th National Parliamentary Election was conducted at an acceptable level of fairness, participation, competitiveness and inclusivity, though sporadic code of conduct violations, excessive campaign spending and incidents of violence were observed during the process, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said on Monday.
Presenting its report titled “13th National Election Process Tracking and Affidavits: TIB’s Observations” at a press conference at its Dhanmondi office, the anti-corruption watchdog said that while the election reflected a competitive political environment following the fall of the previous authoritarian government, certain longstanding political practices persisted.
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said the overall electoral environment allowed for meaningful participation, but unhealthy competition and isolated incidents of violence increased as polling day approached and, in some cases, continued afterward.
“At the beginning of the campaign period, we observed elements of healthy competition,” he said.
“However, as the election progressed, there were instances of intolerance, excessive spending and conflicts among parties and candidates. Although the authoritarian government has fallen, the culture of ‘must win at any cost’ has not entirely disappeared.”
Code of conduct and irregularities
According to TIB’s findings, most candidates violated at least one provision of the electoral code of conduct, though the severity of violations varied.
Among 70 constituencies selected through representative random sampling, incidents of ballot stuffing were identified in 21.4% of constituencies, while multiple irregularities were reported in 40%.
Campaign spending limits were widely exceeded in a number of cases.
The highest levels of overspending were recorded among candidates from the two leading parties, BNP (327.5% above the prescribed limit) and Jamaat-e-Islami (315.2%).
The rates were comparatively lower for the Jatiya Party (128.6%) and NCP (19%).
On average, candidates who exceeded the ceiling spent Tk16,498,101.
TIB noted that the use of money, influence and identity-based appeals affected the level playing field in certain constituencies.
However, it did not conclude that these issues invalidated the overall electoral outcome.
Voter turnout and participation
Voter turnout stood at approximately 60%. TIB described this as comparatively satisfactory in a global context, though lower than Bangladesh’s historical standards.
The organisation said fear generated by isolated incidents of violence, as well as lingering distrust in political processes, may have discouraged some voters -- particularly women and marginalised communities -- from participating.
Women’s representation in parliament declined significantly, with only seven women elected -- 2.36% of the total -- marking the lowest level in recent parliamentary history.
Wealth and profile of MPs
TIB’s affidavit analysis found that 236 MPs -- 79.46% -- are millionaires in taka terms, including 13 whose declared assets exceed Tk100 crore.
At the same time, nearly half of the MPs collectively carry liabilities amounting to Tk113.56 billion -- the highest among the last four parliaments.
Approximately 60% of MPs come from business backgrounds, while 8.1% are teachers -- the highest proportion of educators in recent parliaments.
Around 11.8% belong to the legal profession.
The 13th Parliament is comparatively younger, with 70% of members entering the House for the first time.
A significant majority, 84.83%, hold graduate or higher degrees.
Eight MPs reported foreign income, and a small number disclosed overseas assets or property.
EC and institutional performance
TIB observed that the Election Commission demonstrated visible engagement and goodwill in managing the election.
However, certain limitations and capacity constraints prevented it from fully addressing all irregularities.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman said both major political camps had at different times raised allegations of bias against the Commission, which could indicate its attempt to maintain neutrality in a highly competitive environment.
He added that greater cooperation from political parties would be essential in future elections to strengthen compliance with the code of conduct and enhance public confidence.
TIB conducted two interrelated studies, process tracking and affidavit analysis, covering 70 constituencies selected through representative sampling.
While acknowledging room for improvement, the organisation concluded that the 13th National Election represented a competitive and participatory electoral exercise, though further reforms are necessary to curb excessive spending, reduce violence and strengthen democratic political culture.
