Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin has identified security as the foremost challenge facing Bangladesh’s elections, ahead of administrative, legal and technological hurdles. 

He called for stronger coordination between the civil administration and law-enforcement agencies to ensure a credible vote.

Speaking on Saturday morning at a workshop for polling officials at the Regional Public Administration Training Centre, the CEC urged officials to deliver a “good election” collectively. 

He said the Election Commission aims to empower presiding, polling and returning officers and is delegating full authority to them. Failure to exercise that authority or to act in time would be considered dereliction, he warned, stressing that proper use of power is as important as power itself.

Nasir Uddin said the Commission wants the election to demonstrate the rule of law “whatever the consequences.” He assured officials that as long as they operate within the law, the Commission will give them full support. 

The EC’s goal, he added, is to hold a transparent, fair and participatory election, for which trained, impartial and responsible officials are essential.

Coordination is the “key” to a successful election, the CEC said, citing effective links among presiding and returning officers, the administration and the security services. He noted the Commission has set up a cell to counter false information and AI-driven disinformation on social media, while acknowledging that public awareness of the cell remains limited.

Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar attended the workshop as special guest, alongside Additional Secretary KM Ali Newaz of the EC Secretariat, Chattogram Divisional Commissioner Dr Mohammad Ziauddin, Chattogram Range DIG Mohammad Ahsan Habib Palash, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative Anwarul Haque and CBTEP Project Director Mohammad Mostafa Hasan. The session was chaired by Senior District Election Officer Mohammad Bashir Ahmed.

SMS/