Polls little over a month away, EC struggles to secure foreign observers

Infograph: TBS

It has been more than a week since the Election Commission extended invitations to national election bodies in 34 countries to send teams to observe the 7 January polls. However, as of now, there has been no confirmation from any of these countries regarding their participation as observers.

EC sources have said although some countries have acknowledged the receipt of invitations, none have officially confirmed their intention to send officials to observe the national election in Bangladesh.

The upcoming parliamentary election is drawing significant attention from global powers and organisations. International bodies, such as the United Nations and various human rights organisations, are closely monitoring the unfolding political events, emphasising the importance of a fair electoral process.

At home, the BNP and several other opposition parties have been enforcing blockades and hartals, staunchly opposing the election being held under the current government as they demand that the national polls be conducted under a neutral caretaker administration.

Against this backdrop, the commission on 20 November sent letters of invitation to India, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Australia, Canada, France, Georgia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Egypt, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Senegal, Thailand, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Tunisia, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan and Singapore.

The EC received responses from only 44 individuals, who include foreign observers and journalists, by the initial application deadline of 21 November.

In a bid to boost the observer numbers, the commission then extended the application deadline to 7 December.

Yesterday, EC Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath expressed optimism, saying, "Over a hundred observers have shown interest, and with the time extended, we expect the number to surpass 200."

On the issues related to foreign observers, the EC is set to hold an inter-ministerial meeting today.

Chaired by EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam, the meeting will discuss security clearance, visa processing, on-arrival visa arrangements, establishment of help desks at the airport, media cell setups, and ensuring healthcare and security for foreign observers and journalists during the electoral process.

To facilitate a comprehensive meeting, the EC has extended invitations to key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Board of Revenue, the Department of Public Safety and Security Services of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Directorate of Immigration and Passports, the Chief Information Officer, the Ministry of Information, and Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon.

The last controversial-free and participatory general election was in 2008, when Bangladesh attracted 593 foreign observers, showcasing widespread international interest in the democratic process.

But the one-sided election in 2014, boycotted by most political parties, including the main opposition BNP, drew only four observers.

The 11th parliamentary election held in 2018 saw the participation of all political parties and a significant increase in foreign observers to 221. However, the election was marked by allegations of vote-rigging and irregularities.

The impact of those controversial polls seems to linger, with a relatively thin foreign response to the 12th parliamentary election.

So far, around 108 individuals have applied to the EC, showing interest to observe the polls. Of them, 27 are journalists.

The rest are 81 observers from various organisations, including 11 Ugandan citizens from the African Electoral Alliance.

Besides, 5 from the Commonwealth, 4 from the European Union will come to observe the vote. Further, the US-funded International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) want to send a five-member technical team.

In addition to the EC, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen has reiterated the call upon foreign countries to send observers, assuring them that the polls will be conducted in a free and fair manner.

This appeal was made during Momen's address to ambassadors, concurrently accredited to Bangladesh, at the Bangladesh mission in New Delhi on 24 November.