Staff Correspondent:

Electoral Reform Commission chief Badiul Alam Majumdar has said that the Election Commission cannot organise a free and fair election unless the government itself wants one.

Speaking at a shadow parliament debate in Dhaka on Saturday, Badiul stressed that while the EC has a central role, responsibility also lies with candidates, voters, civil society and the media.

“If the government does not want it, the Election Commission cannot conduct a fair election. There is no uncertainty about the upcoming election. Since it has been announced for February, it must be held within that time,” he said.

Badiul said the polls must be conducted on a level playing field, warning that if political parties continued with “thuggery and money games”, credible elections would be impossible.

He also criticised partisan student politics, calling it “unacceptable”, and noted that the results of student union elections at universities could influence national polls.

On the electoral system, Badiul acknowledged both proportional representation (PR) and seat-based systems had limitations, and discussions were ongoing about possible reforms.