AFED urges visible security for election observers
Staff Reporter :
The announcement of the national election schedule has brought widespread enthusiasm among citizens, despite a compressed timeframe that has kept political actors and stakeholders busy. Even so, the election atmosphere is gradually taking on a festive tone, speakers observed at a strategic communication workshop organized by the Alliance for Fair Election and Democracy (AFED).
The two-day workshop, titled “Communication Strategies for Citizen Election Observers,” began on Sunday at the BRAC Learning Centre in Niketon, Gulshan. Participants emphasized the urgent need to ensure adequate security for citizen election observers, noting that observers often face intimidation or uncooperative behavior from candidates and their supporters.
Speakers suggested that assigning armed guards to observers would be ideal. However, if that is not feasible, they stressed the importance of deploying visible security personnel to ensure observers can carry out their duties safely and independently. “Observer security is essential for a credible and transparent election,” participants noted.
The workshop also focused on strengthening AFED’s internal and public communication mechanisms. Sessions addressed principles of credible communication, internal workflows, joint public messaging, proactive outreach, and the selection of a designated spokesperson.
Key outcomes included agreement on a unified tagline, joint communication tools, and a mechanism for sharing election-related information among member organizations.
The opening session was chaired by AFED board members, while technical sessions were introduced by Mette Bakken and Anastasia Wibawa. A number of civil society leaders attended, including Rebeya Begum of SDS, Mahbubur Rahman of Banchte Shekha, Taleya Rehman of Democracywatch, and representatives from DORP, FEMA, MSK, and other organizations.
The workshop will conclude on December 15 with follow-up discussions and closing remarks by AFED board members.