Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Monday rejected allegations suggesting that more than one fifth of votes in the 13th National Parliamentary Election were fraudulent, emphasising that such claims are based on a misinterpretation of its research findings.
In an official statement, TIB clarified that information shared during a recent press briefing had been misrepresented in certain media reports and public discussions, causing unnecessary confusion regarding the credibility of the election process.
The organisation explained that its findings were derived from field-level surveys conducted through random sampling in 70 selected constituencies across the country. Within this limited sample, instances involving one or more irregular or “fake” votes were identified in 21.4 per cent of the constituencies surveyed.
TIB stressed that this figure cannot be extrapolated to imply that 21.4 per cent of the total votes cast nationwide were fraudulent. Presenting the data in such a manner is “completely incorrect, baseless and misleading,” the watchdog said.
The organisation further urged media outlets that have reported the statistic inaccurately to promptly issue corrections to prevent public misunderstanding.
TIB warned that ignoring such misrepresentations could be perceived as a deliberate attempt to distort its research and mislead the public.
TIB reiterated its commitment to impartial, evidence-based monitoring of electoral processes, and emphasised that the research was meant to identify isolated irregularities in sampled areas, not to make sweeping claims about nationwide vote fraud.
The statement reflects TIB’s concern that misinterpretation of its findings could undermine public trust in the electoral process at a time when the country is transitioning to a new government.
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