Staff Reporter:
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin yesterday firmly said the foreign observers who were biased in certifying the last three national elections will not be allowed to monitor future polls in Bangladesh.
The CEC made the declaration while talking to media after a meeting with Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Ajit Singh, held at the Election Commission office.
“Why should we approve those who certified the last three elections? Should we accept the observers who declared those elections to be very good and acceptable? We will only accept the observers who are experienced, defendable, reliable, and have monitored elections in various countries. We will not accept those who endorsed the last three elections,” he said.
During the meeting, the CEC briefed the envoy on the commission’s ongoing preparations for the up-coming elections.
“We have informed the High Commissioner about the preparatory work we’ve undertaken so far across various sectors,” said the CEC, adding that the commission had provided detailed information about their preparations, particularly the plan to launch voter education activities nationwide.
To this end, he also said that a nationwide awareness campaign will be launched.
The Canadian High Commissioner inquired whether Bangladesh would be able to conduct the upcoming elections effectively. In response, the CEC assured him of the Election Commission’s readiness and shared detailed updates on preparations, including plans to launch a nationwide voter awareness and edu-cation campaign.
On the issue of artificial intelligence (AI), the CEC emphasized its potential misuse as a serious concern. “Misuse of AI poses a threat to our electoral process. Canada faced similar challenges in its last election and has assured us of support. We’ve sought their guidance based on their experience,” he said.
“The Election Commission is taking the matter very seriously and hopes to receive full cooperation from Canada, as well as from other international partners,” he added.
“We are confident in our ability to hold free, fair, and impartial elections,” the CEC affirmed.
He mentioned that the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is supporting the Election Com-mission, saying they have assured that if any gaps arise, they will step in to address them.
At the same time, they have emphasized the importance of holding free, fair, and acceptable elections as well as discussions also included the inclusion of women voters, ensuring voter participation in the Chit-tagong Hill Tracts, and the threat posed by the misuse of AI technology.
The CEC noted that AI is a serious concern for Bangladesh as well, and efforts are underway to address it.
The CEC mentioned that Canada has expressed its support for the commission’s overall efforts, includ-ing voter awareness campaigns, training of polling officers, training of observers, and training of agents.
He further stated that Canada is ready to assist and that discussions will continue. “Canada has expressed its desire to see free, fair, and credible elections. They have also emphasized the importance of including women in the voter registration process and inquired about voter awareness initiatives in the hilly re-gions,” he said, adding, “The EC confirmed that preparations in these areas are ongoing”.
