Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman on Sunday warned that failure to control mob violence could negatively affect the upcoming national election scheduled for February 12.
“If mob violence is not properly addressed, it will inevitably affect the election, just as it affects other sectors,” he said.
He made the remarks during a question-and-answer session after presenting a research paper titled “Justice, State Reform and Election after the Fall of Authoritarianism: Expectations and Reality” at the TIB office in Dhanmondi.
Iftekharuzzaman said the trend of mob violence in Bangladesh originated within the government itself. “The country’s administrative centre, the Bangladesh Secretariat, became the place where mobs first emerged,” he said, adding that these groups later gained power through this process, which weakened the government’s moral authority.
Regarding election-related violence, the TIB chief said everyone hoped the polls would be peaceful but cautioned that no guarantees could be given.
“We all hope that there will not be a single killing and not a single incident of violence. But we cannot guarantee that,” he said, stressing that risk assessments must consider worst-case scenarios.
From that perspective, he said, the risk of violence may continue not only until election day but also for several days afterward.
He noted that the government was fully aware of the risks and had the authority, knowledge, skills and experience to address the situation. However, he expressed concern based on the country’s past electoral history.
“Elections in Bangladesh have rarely been completely free of violence. There have been exceptions in the past, there may be exceptions now, or in the future,” he said, urging the authorities to learn from previous elections to prevent violence this time.
“If the government does not take effective steps, mob violence will influence the election,” he warned.
Iftekharuzzaman also raised concerns over post-July accountability measures, questioning whether they were ensuring justice or being used as tools of revenge. He said initiatives such as trials for crimes against humanity, corruption and other offences might not always be impartial.
“The question remains how much of this is justice and how much is revenge, especially when professional positions are misused to target certain individuals,” he said.
He stressed that true accountability requires identifying the real perpetrators of crimes such as killings, human rights violations, corruption, money laundering and tax evasion, and ensuring fair and transparent trials.
The TIB executive director also criticised the government’s recent issuance of the Broadcasting Ordinance and the Media Commission Ordinance, calling them “symbolic and misleading steps” that increased state control over the media while ignoring earlier reform recommendations.
“This is nothing more than an attempt to further increase government control over the media under the guise of reform,” he said.
On judicial reform, he acknowledged some positive steps taken during the interim government’s tenure, including reforms in judicial appointments, administration and the secretariat. However, he warned that politicisation within the justice system remained a serious challenge.
He urged political parties to commit to depoliticising state institutions and professional bodies, saying such commitment was essential for meaningful democratic reform.
