Staff Reporter:
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin has cautioned that a collapse in communication could lead to a collapse in the entire electoral process.
He made the remarks while inaugurating a two-day core trainers’ programme at the Electoral Training Institute on Friday, organised ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election.
Addressing the trainees, the CEC stressed the importance of ensuring accurate delivery of messages during field operations after the training. “A breakdown in communication means a breakdown of everything,” he warned, urging participants to pay special attention to clarity and accuracy.
The CEC noted that expenditure on health, education, and training should not be seen as mere spending but as long-term investments. “When you spend on health or education, it is an investment. Similarly, training is also a long-term investment,” he observed.
Recalling an academic exercise from a US university, he illustrated how a message written on paper became distorted as it passed through multiple people. “This is how communication breaks down. The electoral process carries the same risk. Listening attentively and taking correct notes are therefore crucial,” he cautioned.
Emphasising the Election Commission’s bottom line of “professionalism and neutrality,” the CEC urged officials to repeatedly highlight these principles throughout the training. “Education and training can never be a substitute for ethics. The standard of ethics must remain intact,” he added.
He also pointed out new challenges facing elections. Beyond political and law-and-order issues, he said, social media has created additional risks. The Commission, he revealed, will set up a dedicated cell to counter misinformation and disinformation. Trainers were urged to take this responsibility seriously alongside teaching the legal framework. “This message must reach every village, remote char, and hill area,” he said.
Towards the end of his speech, the CEC drew attention to inattentive trainees: “Those sitting at the back rows often doze off, which leads to a risk of communication breakdown. Everyone must stay alert.”
Supported by the European Union, the training programme was formally inaugurated with the CEC affirming: “We want to work with professionalism, neutrality, popularity, and effectiveness at the forefront.”
