Dhaka, Feb 15 (UNB) - Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) on Sunday said Bangladesh’s Election Day confidence gains will be sustained only if post-election governance focuses on a transitional justice process towards reconciliation grounded with rule-based accountability.
ANFREL in its interim assessment also mentioned enforceable political and campaign finance oversight, clear complaint mechanisms, and reforms that reduce incentives for patronage, coercion, and recurring political upheaval.
The governance context remains central to long-term confidence, said the Asia’s Bangkok-based first regional network of civil society organisations focused on elections and election monitoring.
Bangladesh’s 2026 parliamentary elections and referendum took place in a transition context shaped by the July 2024 youth-led uprising and amidst heightened public scrutiny of state institutions.
Against that backdrop, ANFREL observed an Election Day environment that was generally peaceful, orderly, and safe in the areas covered.
This was a product of the Bangladesh Election Commission’s visible operational planning and its coordination with security forces, including risk-based deployments and the use of transparency measures such as centralized monitoring and technology-enabled oversight.
These efforts helped stabilise polling operations and contributed to public confidence in the conduct of voting on Election Day.
It said the suspension of the former ruling party Awami League continued to shape perceptions of inclusiveness and political competition, while the referendum result strengthened expectations for credible follow-through on reform commitments under the July Charter.
The presence of both domestic and international observers was widely regarded by stakeholders as an important confidence-building measure and a safeguard for electoral transparency.
However, observer organisations were required to secure both accreditations from the Bangladesh Election Commission and prior operational clearance for funded activities.
Observer identification cards were issued only shortly before polling, preventing systematic observation of voter registration, campaigning, and dispute resolution processes.
As a result, observation focused mainly on Election Day processes, with limited opportunity for transparency measures across earlier phases of the electoral cycle.
Establishing timely accreditation, recognizing long-term and short-term observation, and enabling monitoring across the pre-election, Election Day, and post-election phases would strengthen public oversight, deter violations, and reinforce confidence in future elections, said the organisation.