Ensuring Ballot Security Is a Must Now

Bangla Press Desk: With just six days left until Thursday’s polls, talk and misinformation about the election have already spread widely. The government says the country will see a festive and historic vote, but political parties remain unconvinced. Some predict a meticulous election, while others fear a repeat of past outcomes, recalling 2008 when seat allocations appeared settled before voting began. 

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has already said turnout could exceed 55% and disclosed that several advisers surrendered diplomatic passports early to secure visas, while Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam warned that vote counting could take longer this time.

As speculation grows, parties stress the need to guard votes at every polling centre. Strong monitoring, they argue, will determine whether parties can accurately account for votes cast, while complacency could prove costly. 

Transparency International Bangladesh has meanwhile begun assessing the government’s record before its term ends, saying failures outweigh achievements. Questions have also surfaced over the government’s decision to sign a deal with the United States just three days before the election and whose interests it serves.

Ahead of the 2008 election under the one-eleven caretaker government, BNP leader Khaleda Zia knew her party would receive about 30 seats, which initially led her to refuse participation. 

The final results matched that expectation. Insiders later acknowledged that domestic and foreign actors shaped the process. At the time, Touhid Hossain served as foreign secretary from 17 December, 2006, to 8 July, 2009, and handled liaison with foreign stakeholders. 

Speaking at an MRDI and Diplomatic Correspondents Association Bangladesh event on February, 2026, he said turnout would likely exceed the 55 percent recorded in 1991, a remark critics likened to revealing answers before an exam. 

He also said many advisers surrendered diplomatic passports for visas, though neither he nor his wife has done so, prompting questions about who has and why.

Two ballots will take place on the same day, which officials say will naturally extend counting time. The Election Commission plans no extra staff for referendum management, citing the use of a single ballot box, though it will set up a centre at returning officers’ offices for postal ballots. 

Political parties have reacted cautiously. BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman warned at on 3 February rally in Jashore that any attempt to exploit delays in counting must face resistance, reminding supporters that voters understand how long counting normally takes. He urged party workers to stay alert at polling centres, warning that the election will not be easy and that irregularities, including misuse of candidate badges, could occur.

With six days remaining, debate over the interim government’s record has intensified. Transparency International Bangladesh released a report on 2 February titled “One and a half years after the fall of authoritarianism: expectations and achievements”, concluding that shortcomings outweigh successes and that promised reforms have lagged. Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said expectations around justice, reform and elections remain fragile, with weak implementation frameworks and rising violence linked to mob unrest since on 5 August 2024.

As election day nears, the interim government is also moving ahead with international agreements. It plans to sign a tariff deal with the United States in Washington on 9 February, led by Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman, and a Bangladesh-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement in Tokyo on 6 February. 

These last-minute deals have sparked debate over whether they could affect the election or burden the next elected government. Critics warn that rushed agreements could leave the nation paying the price for years to come.Source: daily Sun

BP/SP