Ensure misogynists are barred from candidacy, urge women leaders

Women leaders have warned that incidents of “mob violence” during elections would have an adverse impact on female voters. They also advised the election commission (EC) to remain vigilant so that misogynistic individuals cannot contest in elections.

Meanwhile, election experts urged the commission to be alert against the influence of black money and muscle power in the electoral process.

With the 13th parliamentary election approaching, the election commission has been holding a series of dialogues with various stakeholders.

Yesterday, Tuesday, the EC held two sessions at the commission’s building in Agargaon, one in the morning with election experts and another in the afternoon with women leaders.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin presided over both sessions.

The CEC said he regarded conducting a free and fair national election as “the last opportunity of his life”.

Referring to the current political context, he said, “We are having to hold this election under a special kind of government in a special situation. I consider this my final opportunity to do something meaningful for the country. My promise is to deliver a beautiful, credible election.”

“The message now is different from what it used to be. The previous message was, ‘If you don’t work for me, there will be action against you.’ The current one is, ‘If you work for anyone else, there will be action.’ Because now the message is very clear. We have delivered it repeatedly, and we shall continue to do so,” CEC Nasir Uddin further said.

Expressing hope for a gender-friendly election, the CEC added that the commission would work to ensure that women could safely go to polling centres and cast their votes.

Bangladesh Mahila Parishad president Fauzia Moslem urged the EC to play an active role in preventing misogynistic, communal, and anti–Liberation War individuals from contesting elections.

She also emphasised the need for sensitivity in the allocation of electoral symbols to women candidates.

Chairperson of the women’s reform commission, Shireen Parveen Haque, raised the issue of increasing the number of parliamentary seats in line with population growth.

“Parliamentary seats should be raised to 600,” she said, adding, “with each constituency having one general seat and one directly elected reserved seat for women.”

Khushi Kabir, Coordinator of the NGO, Nijera Kori, said political parties have not responded adequately to the call for ensuring women’s representation in politics.

She noted that women voters would turn up to vote if their safety at polling centres could be guaranteed. She also recommended appointing more women as election officials.

Mahila Parishad general secretary Maleka Banu pointed out that during elections, women candidates are often targeted by hate campaigns and subjected to intimidation.

Nasreen Fatema Awal, president of the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh (WEAB), said women are afraid to go out after dark and that quick elections are necessary to restore normalcy.

Academic and researcher Maha Mirza observed that many industrial workers living in areas such as Savar, Ashulia and Tongi are unable to register as voters due to temporary addresses, and requested the EC to take measures in this regard.

UPL publishing director Mahrukh Mohiuddin urged punitive measures to curb online and offline harassment of women.

Internews Bangladesh representative Shameem Ara Sheuli said mob violence has created fear among women about going to polling stations, and that this fear must be dispelled.

Election commissioner Begum Tahmida Ahmed remarked that women leaders play a crucial role in mobilising women voters and that the EC needs their cooperation.

In the session with election experts, former acting EC secretary Md Zakaria said steps must be taken to recover illegal weapons spread across the country.

He also warned that illegal arms and money could be smuggled in through border routes and urged vigilance.

The former official advised the EC to exercise caution when appointing temporary personnel for electoral duties and to avoid recruiting individuals affiliated with political organisations.

Former EC secretariat officer Md Nuruzzaman Talukder suggested appointing returning officers from among the Commission’s own officials.

Another former officer, Mihir Sarwar Morshed, proposed granting election officials magistracy powers to enable them to take immediate action in case of irregularities on polling day.

Former EC official Mesbah Uddin Ahmed stated that the public still lacked confidence in the election commission.

On the other hand, president of the election monitoring organisation FEMA, Munira Khan, said that fair elections would not be possible without cooperation from the government and political parties.