What civil society members told EU mission over next JS polls

The visiting Election Exploratory Mission of the European Union (EU) has held separate meetings with lawyers, election observers, security analysts, rights activists, and civil society members throughout Sunday regarding the upcoming national election in Bangladesh. 

In these meetings, the EU team enquired about a number of issues including the judiciary's role during the election period and the current election environment.

The lawyers

While meeting two lawyers — Advocate Zainul Abedin, former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association and Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), the EU mission sought to know how independent and objective the judiciary can be during the election.

After the evening meeting, Syeda Rizwana Hasan told reporters, "They wanted to know whether the judiciary can be used in any way to deter the opposition parties during the election and whether there is any remedy for any irregularity. I said if there is political will, impartial people can be found in the judiciary."

"It is very important to have a neutral administration during the election. Now the political parties have to decide how to make that administration neutral, which can be formed if a large number of people want it," she added.

Advocate Zainul Abedin said, "I have highlighted the issue of a caretaker government for fair elections. And regarding the matter of legal harassment, I have highlighted the arrest of former prime minister Khaleda Zia in connection with corruption cases. A former prime minister cannot be involved in the embezzlement of Tk3 crore."

Among others, security analyst Major General Muniruzzaman (Retd) was also present during the meeting.

Polls observers

Prior to meeting the lawyers, the EU delegation had a meeting with two election observers — Sharmeen Murshid, chief executive officer of the election observation group Brotee and Prof Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, chairman of National Election Observation Authority — for more than an hour from 4:30 pm.

After the meeting, Sharmeen Murshid, CEO of Brotee, told reporters, "They wanted to know the experience, scope and strength of the observation. We discussed whether we can trust the Election Commission through the reforms that are taking place."

"We have told them [EU team] to come and observe the election anyway and submit a report accordingly," she added.

Responding to a question about credible elections, she said, "I told them that we have not yet achieved the level of preparation and confidence required for the elections. Especially the use of the Digital Security Act [DSA] and the Representation of the People Order [RPO] revision. I do not look at the RPO change favourably. It will greatly weaken the electoral process."

She further said, "I have said another thing — the government has gone into a 'fear mood' and is taking wrong decisions out of fear. What should be done should be done politically and what the opposition wants needs to be addressed for fair elections."

Think-tanks and rights activists

On Sunday morning, the EU team held its first meeting with Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) Research Director Dr Mahfuz Kabir. 

"The mission enquired about the current election atmosphere. I told them that now the political situation is peaceful and violence free. The EU should send an observer team before the election," Dr Kabir told journalists following the meeting.

"They also enquired about sending an observer team to the Chittagong Hill Tract area. I said they could send a small CHT team considering the region's overall situation," he added.

Prominent rights activist Advocate Adilur Rahman Khan told the EU mission that fair elections will not be possible in Bangladesh while rights groups and activists get prosecuted. 

"Fair elections are not possible by filing cases against human rights activists, cancelling the registration of human rights organisations and violating human rights. This is what I told the delegation," he told The Business Standard following the meeting with the EU delegation.

The delegation then sat for a meeting with Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder.

"I shared with them my experience. I told them that the nation is looking forward to a free and fair election. I have thanked them for their assistance," he told reporters following the meeting. 

When asked if there was any discussion regarding the caretaker government, he said, "No."

"They want to know whether the country's condition is conducive to fair elections. I have not given any proposal. But in light of past experience, I have said that the election process must be correct. I have said that people should have the freedom to choose their options, the whole process should be transparent, and there should be no manipulation. The election commission and law enforcement agencies will ensure the transparency of these processes," Badiul Alam said.

"But I doubt whether the current process creates a label playing field," Badiul told reporters.

After the meeting with Badiul Alam, the EU team met with Dr Fahmida Khatun, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

However, Dr Fahmida Khatun did not make any comments following the meeting.

A civil society member who attended a meeting with the EU delegation, on condition of anonymity, told The Business Standard, "I told them that first, we have to find out why the previous two elections were questionable. Then we can take the right steps for the next election."

EU's six-member mission arrived in Dhaka on 9 July to observe the atmosphere ahead of the next national election, expected to be held at the end of December this year or at the beginning of next year.

The delegation, which will be visiting Bangladesh till 23 July, includes Dimitra Ioannou, Alves Chritina Dos Ramos, Miller Ian James, Chamagne Christopher and Marie-Helene Enderlin.

The main objective of the visiting mission is to assess the "advisability, usefulness and feasibility" of a possible EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the upcoming parliamentary elections, according to the EU Mission in Dhaka.