EC must not allow any fake observer

Investigations conducted into the authenticity of election observers provisionally registered by the Election Commission (EC) by two Bangla dailies—Prothom Alo and Samakal—have been quite revealing. These investigations expose a startling failure of the EC to properly verify the expertise and capability of aspirant poll-monitoring organisations. According to a Prothom Alo report, the EC received 300 applications for enrolment as election observers. After initial scrutiny and some field-level verification, it published a preliminary list of 73 organisations deemed eligible for registration.

But barring a handful of exceptions, as both newspapers reveal, most of these organisations do not fulfil the required criteria for becoming election observers. Some exist only on paper; they could not be traced at their listed addresses. Quite a few are linked with political figures, which is clearly against the EC's prescribed preconditions. Unfortunately, this echoes the scandals of fake observers seen during the last three elections held under the previous regime of Sheikh Hasina. It may be recalled that in those elections, the phenomenon of fake observers was not confined to national boundaries but extended to groups imported from abroad.

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Time to focus on the election

The EC's guidelines on election observation clearly state that organisations registered with the government and engaged in promoting democracy, good governance, and human rights are eligible to apply for accreditation as poll monitors. They are also required to submit reports of their organisational activities over the past two years. The media probes show that the EC did not rigorously apply its own guidelines when compiling the preliminary list of observer organisations, whether due to its lack of capacity or negligence. Neither is acceptable, and this must be rectified immediately. Bangladesh cannot afford to let fake observers again distort the credibility of its elections.

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Why are we trying to make the election uncertain?

There is little doubt that election observation by neutral monitors with expertise in detecting manipulation, undue interference, and partisan behaviour of polling officials is crucial for ensuring electoral credibility. The infiltration of fake observers into election processes is not unique to Bangladesh—it has become a global problem. National and international actors with vested interests often use fake observers to influence public perception of the fairness and quality of an election. As such practices pose a serious threat to democracy and may legitimise manipulated outcomes, a number of leading international and regional bodies have developed toolkits to detect and counter fake observers. The EC should consider seeking technical assistance on detecting such groups from international organisations, including the United Nations and the European Union.

Since 1991, Bangladesh has experienced both the best and the worst of election monitoring. With the weakening of democracy and rise of authoritarianism, we witnessed staged elections and the proliferation of fake observers. Following the student-led mass uprising of 2024, we hoped that such practices would not be repeated. We, therefore, urge the EC to diligently scrutinise the suitability and integrity of any potential poll monitoring organisation.