Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin has said that working in Bangladesh under the current circumstances is “very difficult” and “extremely challenging.”
Speaking at the “Election Officers’ Conference 2025” held at the Election Commission Secretariat in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Saturday, the CEC stated, “Working in Bangladesh is very difficult. Particularly under the current situation, it is easy for some groups to get work done, but for the majority it’s difficult. This is where the country stands today.” The event was organized by the Bangladesh Election Commission Officers’ Association.
The CEC acknowledged that the Election Commission (EC) faces both direct and indirect obstacles while preparing for elections and handling various demands. “Many of these challenges are not visible from outside, but we have to manage them,” he said.
Nasir Uddin added that Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus has “full confidence” in the EC. He also assured that no unlawful instructions would be given to field-level election officials. “We will not direct anyone to work in favor of any particular side,” he stressed.
Referring to the run-up to the next parliamentary polls as a “special situation,” he called on election officials to act accordingly. “The current commission is undertaking historic reforms to establish a new foundation for the electoral system,” he said.
Other commissioners echoed similar concerns. Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud noted that there is widespread public apathy and mistrust about elections, warning that “there is no alternative to holding good elections now.” He urged election officials to remain neutral and called on political parties to help maintain a positive electoral environment.
Commissioner Begum Tahmida Ahmed criticized the failure of some election officials to properly fulfill their duties in the past, while Commissioner Md. Anwarul Islam Sarker asserted that the EC has strengthened its backbone over the last ten months.
Commissioner Brig. Gen. (Retd.) Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah highlighted the presence of many deceased voters in the rolls and urged timely updates of voter lists, arguing that a broken electoral system is one of the key reasons behind the country’s current situation.
Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat Akhter Ahmed identified two major challenges ahead of the next general election—artificial intelligence (AI) constraints and absentee (expatriate) voting—and pledged to tackle them efficiently. He also urged officials to refrain from lobbying for transfers.
The conference was chaired by Mohammad Monir Hossain, convenor of the Bangladesh Election Commission Officers’ Association, who pledged that election officials are prepared to make the utmost sacrifices to ensure free and fair polls. The welcome speech was delivered by the association’s member secretary, Mohammad Matiur Rahman, with upazila-level election officers from across the country in attendance.
