Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), said the February polls were generally peaceful and that all political parties had accepted the results.
“Some irregularities did occur in certain places, but overall, voters were able to exercise their right to vote freely,” he said at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka today.
Asked how he would evaluate the election in one sentence, Majumdar replied, “The polls were largely peaceful, though there were some inconsistencies and incidents of unrest. Above all, all parties accepted the outcome.”
Majumdar stressed that elections should be judged not only by polling day but by the entire electoral process, including the legal framework, voter list accuracy, candidate participation, and access to information.
A peaceful vote alone does not guarantee credibility if earlier stages are flawed, he added.
He said Shujan had monitored the full process and reported irregularities, expressing hope that the Election Commission would investigate issues such as loan defaulters, dual citizenship, and alleged false information in candidate affidavits.
Citing the Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972, Majumdar noted that the law allows the Election Commission to cancel an election if a candidate is found to have provided false or concealed information in affidavits, even after being elected.
Asked whether he was personally frustrated that Electoral Reform Commission’s proposals were ignored and that the BNP did not take oath after the referendum under the July Charter, Majumdar said, “The situation had created complications.”
“Since the charter was approved by the people through referendum, with 48 provisions endorsed, BNP’s refusal to take oath has led to this crisis,” he added.
Meanwhile, in a written statement, Shujan central committee member Ekram Hossain reiterated the February 12 election remained largely stable at all stages — from participation and competition to voting and the announcement of results — but noted continuing concerns over some "shortcomings".
He said the polls achieved a degree of acceptability, though a fuller assessment would require further review.
“Although the February 12 election had the capacity to gain acceptability, there are questions regarding some issues,” Ekram said, adding that both international bodies and Shujan had raised their own observations.
