Bangladesh's National Election Could Mirror DUCSU Polls, Says Chief Advisor's Press Secretary

Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, commented that the national parliamentary election in the country will resemble the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election, which was a major "test" for the nation.

He made the remarks on Thursday during a discussion at the Sir Darp Auditorium in Dhaka, titled "Expectations and Challenges for Free and Fair Elections: What the Government, Political Parties, and Civil Society Must Do". The event was organized by the Citizens’ Platform, a coalition of civic organizations. Political party leaders and representatives from civil society attended the meeting as well.

Discussing the DUCSU election, Shafiqul Alam stated that political parties, intellectuals, and students had handled the situation well. He highlighted that no law and order incidents had occurred during the DUCSU election.

He further mentioned that the government has been holding regular meetings about the upcoming national election. "The Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, has repeatedly stated that the election will take place in February," said Alam. To ensure a smooth election, about 800,000 members of the law enforcement agencies will be deployed, according to him. He emphasized, however, that for a successful election, political parties and candidates must show genuine intent. "If the people come out to vote in overwhelming numbers, no one will have the power to tarnish the integrity of the election," he asserted.

Alam also responded to critics who claim that the government has done nothing. He said such criticisms often stem from emotional disappointments due to unmet expectations. "If we are to talk about the government's successes and failures, we must do so with proper statistical analysis. In the post-revolution period, many countries have faced chaos, but Bangladesh has not. That is the government's greatest success," he stated.

The Press Secretary also commented on the misinformation spreading on platforms like YouTube. "What is happening on YouTube is truly alarming," he remarked. "The younger generation no longer regularly consumes news from traditional media; they get their information from YouTube. Some are spreading false information regularly. No government tolerates this, and if we address this issue, people will say the interim government doesn’t believe in a free press."