Bangladesh’s Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin has said no manipulated or “stage-managed” election will take place in the country, dismissing calls for street agitation ahead of the upcoming parliamentary polls.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday during a visit to the appeal filing centre at the Election Commission Bhaban in Dhaka’s Agargaon area, he said the Election Commission was firmly committed to ensuring a free, fair and lawful election process.
“There will be no stage-managed election, so there is no need for street agitation,” he said, adding that no orchestrated polls would be held in Bangladesh.
The comments come at a time of heightened political debate over the credibility of the electoral process as the country prepares for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election.
Addressing concerns over the rejection and acceptance of nomination papers, the chief election commissioner said the Election Commission, acting as the appellate authority, would ensure justice strictly in accordance with the law. He said candidates whose nomination papers had been either accepted or rejected by returning officers had the legal right to file appeals.
“We believe in justice and we will deliver justice,” he said. “After the hearings, it will be clear that justice has been ensured in line with the law and established rules. The law is equal for all, and everyone is bound to follow it.”
He also pointed to a notable reduction in election-related violence during the nomination submission period, describing the situation as a positive change compared with previous elections. In the past, nomination days were often marred by clashes, violence and bomb blasts. This year, he said, nomination papers were submitted in a peaceful and orderly environment, with no reports of violence from anywhere in the country.
The chief election commissioner said the existence of an appeals mechanism ensured that any grievances arising from decisions by returning officers could be addressed through legal channels rather than confrontation on the streets.
Describing the Election Commission as a focal point of public interest, he said people from distant regions were travelling to Dhaka to file appeals, which he said reflected growing engagement in the electoral process. He added that the commission viewed this participation positively.
The filing of appeals against the acceptance and rejection of nomination papers continued on Thursday for the fourth consecutive day at the Election Commission. Officials said 131 appeals were filed on Wednesday alone, raising the total number of appeals lodged over the past three days to 295.
According to Election Commission data, appeals filed on Wednesday came from across the country, including 31 from the Dhaka region, 19 from Cumilla, 16 from Mymensingh, 15 from Rajshahi, 11 from Khulna, 10 from Chattogram, nine each from Rangpur and Barishal, and seven from districts under the Faridpur region.
Earlier in the week, 122 appeals were submitted on Tuesday, while on the first day of the process on Monday, 41 appeals were filed against the rejection of nomination papers, and one appeal was lodged against the acceptance of a nomination.
The appeals process follows the completion of scrutiny of nomination papers on 4 January. On the final day of scrutiny, returning officers and assistant returning officers declared 1,842 nomination papers valid and rejected 723 candidatures out of a total of 2,568 submissions across 300 parliamentary constituencies.
The Election Commission is expected to complete hearings on the appeals in the coming days, a key step in finalising the list of candidates ahead of the national election.
