Not only voters, politicians also gripped by security fears ahead of election: Debapriya
Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), has said that security risks ahead of the national election extend beyond voters, warning that politicians themselves are also increasingly feeling the pangs of the lack of security.
"In the country, not only voters are among the endangered population, but politicians are also within this danger," he said, adding that alongside concerns for religious minorities, indigenous communities and people with differing political views, the security of political leaders has emerged as a serious issue.
He made the remarks this morning (14 December) while delivering the opening speech at the inauguration of the "Bangladesh Reform Tracker" by the Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh, at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka.
Referring to the recent attack on Sharif Osman Hadi, an aspiring independent candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency and spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha, he said targeted violence against political figures has raised alarm over whether a safe electoral environment can be ensured.
"A very big question has arisen regarding whether politicians will be subjected to more violence or attacks centred around the election, and whether the Election Commission and the current government will be able to create a fair and secure environment," he said.
Debapriya, Convenor of the Citizen's Platform for SDGs, said the Bangladesh Reform Tracker platform has conducted pre-election dialogues across different regions of the country over the past one and a half months to gauge public expectations about the political situation and the upcoming polls.
Based on those discussions, a citizen manifesto is now being prepared and will be released soon.
"In every place we visited, the issue of security came up very strongly. Many people are not confident that a safe and secure political environment can be ensured," he said.
Turning to the reform agenda, Debapriya said the current reform debate is rooted in Bangladesh's experience of democratic decline.
We felt that transparency, coordination and communication were not always adequate.
He argued that an elite alliance involving politicians, bureaucrats and large business interests weakened competitive politics, which in turn led to a non-competitive economy.
"This created crony capitalism and an oligarchic system where policy-making independence was lost," he said.
He noted that while reform is not new in Bangladesh, the current initiative is distinct because it is being pursued at the state level through commissions and institutional mechanisms.
Debapriya welcomed the interim government's role in creating this opportunity but said the initial momentum of reforms has gradually weakened.
"We felt that transparency, coordination and communication were not always adequate," he said.
He also stressed that reforms cannot succeed through planning alone and require sustained citizen participation.
"Reform is not just about plans or enthusiasm. Citizens must remain consciously involved if reforms are to be implemented," he added.