Bolster post-election security arrangements

Four election observation organisations have described the 13th national election as largely orderly and transparent, but recommended strengthening post-poll security measures.

They say the measures are needed in light of several incidents of violence, intimidation, technology-facilitated gender-based abuse, and gap in equal and effective participation of minority communities.

Odhikar, Rural and Urban Poor's Partner for Social Advancement (RUPSA), Aarshi Trust, and B-SCAN shared their observations at a joint press conference in the capital on Sunday.

Korban Ali from Odhikar, Salma Mahbub from B-SCAN, Shaikh Mostafiz Rahman from RUPSA, and Nafisa Raihana from Aarshi Trust highlighted findings from their respective organisations' reports.

According to Odhikar, 61 incidents of electoral violence across 18 districts were documented from January 18 to February 11.

Of them, 62 per cent happened in rural constituencies and 54 per cent in public spaces.

Nearly two-thirds of the incidents discouraged or prevented participation in the polls, while the authorities failed to act in 24 cases.

Odhikar described them as systemic risks and a weak institutional response ahead of the election day.

Korban from the organisation said the majority of the 466 polling stations in 50 constituencies operated without obstruction and there was no physical violence during voting.

In line with the observations of 100 observers and compared to the past elections, the scale and severity of violence were notably lower this time, Odhikar said.

Election day procedures, including ballot secrecy, transparency, vote counting, and access to polling agents, were generally followed, marking significant improvements in procedural integrity, it said.

Post-poll clashes outside polling stations killed three, including a child, and injured 100 others, said the organisation.

RUPSA observed the election day in the context of inclusive participation of various ethnic, religious, linguistic, and other minority communities.

It found that structural, administrative, and security-related risks persisted, affecting equal and effective participation of these communities.

Claiming they had systemically monitored 509 minority-concentrated polling stations in Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Chittagong Hill Tracts, and Chattogram, RUPSA's Mostafiz Rahman said voting was generally peaceful, orderly, and inclusive.

He said 98.8 per cent of the minority voters were able to access the polling centres freely and vote without obstructions.

But in some areas, challenges were noted involving intimidation, restricted movements near polling centres, unfair queue management, and occasional discriminatory treatment by polling officials, he also said.

He suggested strengthening equality, voter confidence, and integrity to reduce procedural gaps in minority-concentrated areas.

Of the 14 incidents that RUPSA recorded, six involved administrative issues, two were about violence, one was about intimidation, and one related to vote buying.

B-SCAN observed 110 polling stations in Faridpur, Dinajpur, Meherpur, and Dhaka north and south city corporation areas.

It found the absence of explicit recognition of persons with disabilities as full rights-holders, a lack of mandatory accessibility standards, and unclear voting procedures.

Many polling centres in primarily school buildings remained inadequately accessible with substandard ramps, limited ground-floor voting arrangements, and insufficient signage, it said.

Aarshi Trust - a research and advocacy organisation working on strengthening democratic participation, rights, and social justice - worked closely with Forum for Women's Political Rights to monitor technology-facilitated gender-based violence against women in politics.

Nafisa Raihana from the organisation said abuse was often concentrated in replies from January 14 to 31.

She said 100 comments were classified as highly severe that involved threats and explicit sexual abuse.

In the February 10-12 comment database, the dominant forms of technology-facilitated gender-based violence were threats, sexual harassment, character assassination by moral policing, disinformation about personal life, corruption, immorality, mockery, and sarcasm, she said.

These were used to delegitimise women's participation in the polls, she added.

smunima@yahoo.com