EU team inquires about legal framework for fair, transparent polls

Staff Reporter  :
The visiting delegation from the European Union (EU) had inquired about the adequacy and effectiveness of the legal framework for holding free, fair and impartial elections and the role of the government during election.

They inquired about these matters while holding separate meetings with the information and Law Ministry on Wednesday.
In response to their inquiries, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud replied that the government would perform its duties in a similar manner as governments in Europe handle their responsibilities during election periods.

At the end of the meeting, Dr. Hasan Mahmud mentioned that discussions were held with the delegation regarding the election environment in the country.
He highlighted the importance of independent media and noted that spreading rumors and misinformation through social media poses a significant challenge.
The Information Minister also claimed that the opposition party, BNP, frequently changes its stance on various issues, similar to changing the skin of a snake.
Later, the delegation also met with the Secretary of the Ministry of Law to inquire about the adequacy and effectiveness of the country’s legal framework for conducting fair and transparent elections.
“The EU delegation has come to know whether our legal framework is sound for holding free and fair election. We assured them that our existing legal framework in Bangladesh is adequate for fair elections,” Golam Sarwar, the Secretary of the Ministry of Law, informed journalists after the meeting.

The meeting took place at the ministry in the presence of the EU delegation, including senior election expert Rikard Jozwiak, political expert Dimitri Aionao, and legal expert Cristina Dos Ramos Alves.
“For instance, under the Representation of the People Order (RPO) enacted by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, there is a provision in Article 91(A) to suspend elections. Subsequently, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina added Article 91(A)(A) to empower the Election Commission further, which they found satisfactory,” he said.
He mentioned that a copy of the law was provided to the EU representatives.

“There is no other law in this sub-continent concerning the appointment of election commissioners and others. We informed them about the formation of the EC,” he said.
The Secretary stated that there were no discussions during the meeting regarding the election time government.
He said, “When the election schedule is announced, an inquiry committee is formed under the leadership of a joint district judge and a senior assistant judge. They are responsible for conducting the duties from the first day of the schedule until the gazette notification of the election. If any irregularity or complaint arises during the election, they prepare a report and submit it to the Election Commission, based on which the Election Commission can take necessary actions.”
When asked if the EU delegation had any observations, the Secretary of Law said, “They wanted to know from us if this law is sufficient for fair and transparent elections. We replied, ‘Yes.’ We assured them that our mechanisms are sufficient for fair elections, and there is no need for additional measures for a free and fair election.”