Dhaka, Feb 21 (.) Renewing its criticism of the February 12 polls, the currently-banned Awami League, highlighting reports from election observers over the twin vote, has charged that the polls were anything but free and fair.
The party noted that observers have raised fresh concerns about the integrity of the polls, stating that critics of the vote have raised allegations of rampant electoral engineering and a “systematic manipulation of the process under the interim administration led by the former Chief Advisor Md Yunus.”
Referring to the findings of Transparency International Bangladesh, which monitored voting in 70 constituencies, the party noted on its X that as per the organisation’s assessment, over 21.4% of ballots cast in the sampled areas were potentially fake, while irregularities were recorded in nearly half of the observed constituencies.
Furthermore, the report also cited allegations of booth capturing, pressuring voters to support specific party symbols, and of ballots being stamped in advance.
It further stated that “observers also reported restrictions on journalists and concerns over the neutrality of some election officials, alongside isolated allegations of fraud during vote counting.”
Authorities have maintained that the election was conducted freely and fairly. However, critics argue that the reported findings warrant further scrutiny and raise questions about whether the process met basic democratic benchmarks.
The Awami League highlighted specific incidents, including allegations from Maliyat union in Kaliganj Upazila, where local reports claimed that polling agents linked to Jamaat-e-Islami cast ballots early in the day under the supervision of election officials. The party used video footage circulating online in support of the claim.
Stating that critics reported similar practices occurring in other places, and described the vote as pre-arranged, itcited the “unusually rapid turnout figures released by the Election Commission of Bangladesh,” which ranged from 14.96% at 11am to 32.88% by noon.
Opponents have argued such a surge would be difficult to achieve under normal voting conditions and are calling for an independent investigation to verify the claims.
Again, highlighting data from Transparency International Bangladesh on the 13th parliamentary elections, the AL noted that the Jatiya Sangsad Election reports showed that a record 46.4% centers saw voter obstruction, 21.4% were alleged of fraudulent votes, 35.7% accused of forced voting, and 14.3% centres reported incidents booth capturing, with 125 incidents of post-election violence reported.
Additional concerns have surfaced in relation to the 2026 electoral process, further fuelling debate about transparency and oversight. A video widely shared online appears to show ballot boxes filled with ballots left unattended inside a polling station, with the presiding officer and polling agents reportedly absent. The footage follows earlier claims of result sheets being signed before voting began and ballots being stamped in advance.
Despite not being independently verified, the allegations have intensified discussions about ballot security and election management in Bangladesh, amid what has already been a highly controversial poll.
Underscoring the deeper issue, the party said the ultimate issue is not the victor, but whether proper procedures were consistently followed, stating that “in any democracy, confidence in ballot security is essential. When oversight appears unclear, public trust can quickly erode.”
. . .