Caretaker system for conducting election

Mohammad Amjad Hossain :
The image of Bangladesh is at stake as the political leaders should not behave properly for the interest of the country. They should know that the interest of the country is much more important than self interest. Bangladesh has earned a bad image in the present day world. The general election of Bangladesh is likely to be conducted in next December this year or January of 2024. The election should be conducted free and fair but the picture has emerged that the election would not be free and fair like the election which was held in 2018.
I recalled that election commissioner late Mahbub Talukder was not in agreement with other members of the election commission including Chief Election Commissioner about the results and former Foreign Minister Dr. Kamal Hossain rejected the result of the election. It is the responsibility of the election commission to hold elections in a free and fair way as has been conducted in the US, UK and Malaysia. The government of the United States of America has expressed disappointment as the government of Bangladesh had inability to grant visa to members of international election monitors from Asian Network for Free Election (ANFRE). The United States, in fact, provides election funding through the National Democratic Institute.
The last general election that was held on 30 December in 2018 in Bangladesh was not free and fair. According to representative of BBC who witnessed the election in Chattogram reported ballot boxes were full before the election night. Even the late Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar did not have good impression of the election either. He wrote a book regarding this which indicated his observation indicating of injustice and anomalies of the election in 2018.
According to Political scientist Robert Dahl, elections should be free and fair without coercion. Having seen the anomalies in the conduct of general election in Bangladesh it is suggested that caretaker system should be reintroduced again which was introduced in 1991 after military backed President late Hossain Mohammad Ershad was toppled by street protest jointly by Khaleda Zia of BNP and Sheikh Hasina of Awami League. In the present context, free and fair elections seem to be impossible. In view of the current situation in Bangladesh this writer is quoting a partial report written by Professor B. E. S. J. Bastiampillai, Parliamentary commissioner for Administration, Sri Lanka who was of the opinion about the election that was held on12 June in1996 that strict measures had been adopted to depoliticize the administrative staff, firearms were recovered from illegal holders and steps taken to revise and update the poll register. Similar other measures also had been taken to ensure that the election could be held freely and fairly without disturbance. This was stated during the election in Bangladesh on 12 June in 1996.
Situation in the country now seems to be in contrast. Violation of human rights in Bangladesh is rampant which is reflect in the action taken by US Treasury Department in December 2021 against Rapid Action Battalion for violation of human rights while NGOS have reportedly alleged that RAB and other Bangladesh law enforcement are responsible for more than 600 disappearance since 2009, apart from nearly 600 extrajudicial killing since 2018. This picture does not speak well for the government in power in Bangladesh.
In view of the situation that exists today it is suggested to revive the caretaker system for the conduct of elections whose presence will last for three months only in the interest of Bangladesh. If necessary, the constitution should be amended only for introducing a caretaker government while the constitution stipulates that caretaker government be neutral and non- partisan.

(The writer is a retired diplomat, writes from USA).