Election Commission alone cannot ensure fair polls: Badiul Alam

Head of the Election System Reform Commission Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar on Saturday said the Election Commission (EC) alone cannot ensure a free and fair national election without support from the government.

“If political parties indulge in muscle power and money games, a good election will not be possible,” he said while speaking at a shadow parliament debate in the capital.

The debate titled ‘The Role of the Election Commission is key to ensuring a fair national election’ was organised by Debate for Democracy with its chairman, Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron, in the chair.

Dr Majumdar said it is essential to hold the election within the announced timeframe in February, ensuring a level playing field for all parties, but he stressed that, along with the EC, candidates, voters, civil society, media and political parties all must act responsibly.

Referring to student politics, he said student bodies cannot be reduced to the muscle power of political parties, as the results of university student union elections may even influence the national election.

Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury said political parties, the main stakeholders of elections, are yet to reach a consensus on several crucial issues, including whether to adopt the traditional or PR systems.

He said if elections cannot be held within the declared timeframe, the country could plunge into a grave crisis and urged all political parties to compromise for the sake of democracy, the country, and the people.

In the debate competition, Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT) defeated Sir Salimullah Medical College to emerge champions.