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Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP on Wednesday demanded appointments of returning officers (ROs) and assistant returning officers (AROs) from the Election Commission’s own staff in the elections to bring a positive change in the country’s politics.
“If you show courage once to take a decision that the returning officers and assistant returning officers would be appointed from the dedicated persons of your election commission, Bangladesh would witness a qualitative change in its politics,” said BNP Standing Committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan while leading a three-member BNP delegation in the pre-election dialogue arranged by the Election Commission at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city.
The discussion was held with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin in the chair as part of its ongoing dialogue with registered political parties ahead of the national election to be held in early February 2026.
Besides, several other parties including Gonaodhikar Parishad, Nagorik Oikya and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal-Basad Marxist attended the discussion.
Noting that the country is going through a critical juncture and the EC’s role is vital now, Moyeen Khan urged the Commission to ensure the maximum utilisation of its manpower.
He suggested the EC remain firm to utilise its authority for the sake of a fair election. “The EC must remain firm. The Constitution has given you the authority. There is no reason to be subservient. Religion must not be used for political purposes anywhere.”
Moyeen Khan said the Commission is a constitutionally sanctified body. “All five of you (CEC and four election commissioners) are constitutionally sacrosanct persons. You say you are not subservient to the government,” he said.
About the compliance with the code of conduct, the BNP leader said following the code is not an issue of debate rather it is an obligation for political parties and candidates. “There is no scope for us to go beyond this code,” he said.
However, Moyeen Khan criticised several sections of the election code, including the provision that requires candidates to give a written commitment to abide by the code. “The more you widen the net of rules and regulations, the more complicated things will become. Keep this thing simple. You need to motivate the people to be law-abiding citizens,” he said.
Two other BNP delegation members are BNP Acting chairman’s adviser Mahdi Amin and EC’s former acting secretary Dr Mohammad Zakaria.
Jamaat demands DCs-SPs-OCs transfer through lottery:
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami demanded that the transfer and posting of Deputy Commissioners (DC), Superintendents of Police (SP) and Officers-in-Charge (OC) be carried out through a lottery system during the election period to ensure neutrality in the administration.
“Ensuring neutrality in the administration requires transfers based on lottery. An official whoever gets whichever place by fate will go there. Then there will be no question,” said Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar while leading his party’s three-member delegation.
About the issue of holding referendum on the July national charter, he said the referendum issue did not come in the code of conduct and even the activities of the postal balloting for expatriates, Parwar said the EC must clarify its preparation for conducting a referendum on the July Charter.
He also demanded deployment of the army at polling stations. “It would be better if four or five soldiers, not one soldier, are deployed in each polling station,” he said.
About the electoral code, he demanded the revision of the electoral code, particularly the provision that allows a candidate to use only three loudspeakers or microphones simultaneously in a constituency.
Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad said the EC must be courageous to remain independent, ensuring transparency, neutrality and fairness.
He said special monitoring is needed in coastal and hill areas to recover illegal and legal weapons. “If you fail to ensure public safety and voting rights, all good work will be ruined,” he said.