How much control will the EC have over five city polls?

The election commission (EC) has already initiated the process to keep a tight grip on the electoral environment in Gazipur, Khulna, Barishal, Rajshahi and Sylhet city corporations. The question is, how effective will their initiatives be in the end?

There were questions surrounding most of the parliamentary by-elections, as well as local government elections, that took place recently under the current commission. This is why there are doubts as to whether the commission will be able to maintain its control over the election. 

Throughout the last decade, there has been a growing trust deficit among the people regarding the election.

The Gazipur city corporation is scheduled to hold elections on 25 May, while Khulna and Barishal will hold elections on 12 June, and Rajshahi and Sylhet on 21 June. The impending city polls appear to be a litmus test for the election commission, ahead of the 12th national elections.

The previous elections in the five cities were held in 2018, before the last parliamentary polls. They were also shrouded in controversy.

In 2018, it was the biggest failure of the then-election commission that it could not maintain control over the police and administration.

Leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the main opposition, were allegedly driven out of the electoral field through lawsuits, arrests, and various threats. The commission’s role in maintaining a free and fair environment was largely in question.

However, the situation is now in stark contrast, as the BNP has declared that it will remain out of the electoral race. The party did not participate in any of the elections held under the current commission. This is why the EC dealt with no highly contested elections.

Still, the commission could not avoid questions over the elections held under its authority.

The commission has started its activities in the city polls comparatively early. It has written letters to the cabinet division and the general secretary of the ruling party, asking them to request the ministers, state ministers, and lawmakers to follow the electoral code of conduct.

Also, it instructed the police commissioners of the five cities and concerned deputy commissioners to ensure compliance with the electoral code of conduct.

Azmat Ullah Khan, a ruling party candidate for Gazipur city polls, breached the code of conduct on the deadline of nomination withdrawal. The commission took three days to react to the issue and eventually served a show-cause notice to the candidate. Azmat Ullah Khan is supposed to defend his stance at the commission on Sunday (7 May).

Many election observers believe that the field cannot be controlled only through letters or instructions. Rather, the commission has to exercise its power bestowed by the law.

The election commission, led by Kazi Habibul Awal, conducted its first high-profile election in the Cumilla city corporation in June last year. Although voting was fair in the election, there were many controversies before and after the vote.

The commission had asked ruling party lawmaker AKM Bahauddin to leave the locality during the election. Instead of abiding by the instruction, he challenged the commission’s authority in serving such an instruction. Finally, the commission compromised its stance and settled the controversy.

A dispute arose over the election result, as the authorities had suspended the announcement of voting results for around one hour at the last minute. Ruling party candidate Arfanul Haque defeated independent candidate Monirul Haque by 343 votes in the election.

Later, Monirul alleged that he was defeated in a planned way.

Ashraful Alam alias Hero Alam, an independent candidate in the Bogura-4 by-election who lost by a margin of 834 votes, made a similar allegation. 

The commission now uses electronic voting machines (EVMs) in most elections. In some constituencies, it installed closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) in the voting rooms in an effort to keep irregularities in check, but the outcome was quite grim.

The commission found massive irregularities in the Gaibandha-5 by-elections and, failing to keep the situation under control, stopped voting in the constituency.

Later, the commission carried out an investigation and recommended punishment for 134 officials but did not take any action against the concerned candidate, deputy commissioner, and police superintendent.

Some unauthorised individuals were seen in the voting room during the Brahmanbaria-2 by-elections on 1 February, but the EC did not take any action. 

Lastly, in the Chattogram-8 by-elections on 27 April, a number of unauthorised people allegedly entered the voting booth and pressed buttons on the voting machines. 

Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) secretary Badiul Alam Majumder said the biggest step of the current commission was to stop the by-election in the Gaibandha-5 constituency. But it acquitted the big fishes and held the small ones responsible. So there is doubt whether it will act as it is saying.

The police played a key role in the city polls of 2018, and the election commission refrained from exercising its power. Different quarters fear the same in the forthcoming city polls.

Some election observers said they expect the commission to feel the urge to restore people's trust in the election several months before the national polls.