DHAKA—Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has warned that lack of coordination between the Election Commission and the interim government, legal ambiguity, and political pressure are putting at risk the popular mandate for state reforms that emerged through the July coup.
Speaking at a press conference in Dhanmondi on Sunday, TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said that the unwise decisions and confusing legal interpretations regarding the holding of the referendum of historical importance are creating uncertainty in the public mind and undermining the credibility of the entire process. According to him, the Election Commission is showing visible weakness in exercising its constitutional powers and is unable to take effective action in the face of political pressure.
He alleged that violations of the code of conduct, inaction by some of the administration and law enforcement agencies, and harassment of data collectors at the field level are questioning the electoral environment. At the same time, highlighting the EC’s limitations in controlling propaganda and hateful content on digital platforms, he said that global technology companies like Google and Meta are also not playing a responsible role.
Calling holding the referendum and the election on the same day and considering the referendum as synonymous with ‘election’ a major legal deviation, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said that according to the Representation of the People Order, the referendum is not a personal or seat-based election. The directive to involve government employees in the campaign for the referendum after the schedule has also created unnecessary controversy.
According to TIB, the referendum should be based on the ‘July Charter’ that emerged from the July coup. It used the opportunity to call for the implementation of fundamental constitutional reforms—criminalizing abuse of power, giving constitutional status to the ACC, increasing women’s representation in parliament, and reforming Article 70 of the constitution.
Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, the main expectation of the July Uprising is to ensure full independence of all state institutions, including the judiciary, to establish accountable democracy and good governance. He called for a clear ‘no’ to corruption and a firm ‘yes’ to state reform.