Staff Reporter :
The Election Commission (EC) is preparing to cancel the registration of 96 local election observation organisations that were approved under the tenure of the now-ousted Awami League government, officials confirmed on Thursday.
A committee led by Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar held a meeting at the Nirbachan Bhaban in Dhaka’s Agargaon to review the registrations, alongside deliberations on party registration, polling station management, and constituency delimitation.
While no final decision has been announced, EC insiders said the meeting reached a preliminary consensus to move forward with deregistering the 96 organisations and to invite new applications for accreditation ahead of upcoming national and local elections.
“There has been discussion about cancelling the registration of those organisations that were registered before the 12th parliamentary elections,” Commissioner Anwarul told reporters after the meeting.
“A draft proposal has been prepared, which will now be placed before the full commission for further discussion. Some organisations will be removed.”
He clarified that while no official decision has yet been taken, the draft policy framework has already been outlined. “We cannot disclose the names or details at this moment,” he added.
All 96 of the currently registered local observer organisations were granted five-year accreditation before the 12th general elections held in January under the Awami League government, which has since been removed from power following the mass protests and the July uprising.
In recent months, several civil society groups and political parties have raised concerns over the credibility of election observation bodies linked to the previous regime.
Critics allege that many such organisations operated as political fronts or lacked transparency and capacity to conduct impartial monitoring.
The Election Commission’s move appears aimed at restoring confidence in the electoral process ahead of the next cycle of national and local elections.
Officials indicated that a new set of criteria for election observation registration is being developed to ensure greater scrutiny, neutrality, and institutional capacity.
The draft policy will be formally reviewed and voted at a full commission meeting in the coming weeks. It remains unclear whether all 96 organisations will be removed or whether some will retain registration based on merit.
The EC’s renewed push for electoral reforms follows mounting public and international pressure to ensure a fairer, more transparent voting process in post-AL Bangladesh.
