Bangladesh EC to introduce HSC as minimum qualification for domestic poll watchers

The Election Commission (EC) is planning to set the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) or equivalent credentials as the minimum educational qualification for domestic election observers ahead of the 13th parliamentary polls.

A new policy framework to replace the existing 2023 guidelines for observers is in the works, though the format will remain largely the same.

Currently, 96 observer organisations are registered with the EC. Under the new policy, their registrations will be automatically cancelled, and interested organisations will need to reapply in line with the updated criteria.

In the last parliamentary election in 2024, over 20,000 observers were deployed. According to existing rules, anyone with an SSC or equivalent certificate can qualify as an observer.

Although the number of observers and organisations has declined in the past three elections, the 9th parliamentary election saw more than 150,000 observers, and the 8th over 200,000, deployed across all 300 constituencies.

Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker said that the draft of the new guidelines includes a proposal to raise the educational qualification bar from SSC to HSC.

“We felt the need to maintain a certain level of qualification. An election observer must have the minimum academic understanding to carry out their responsibilities effectively. It’s not about undermining anyone—basic academic qualifications help improve understanding,” he said.

The Electoral Reform Commission has already submitted recommendations to the government for both domestic and international observers.

The Cabinet Division has requested the EC secretary to submit proposals on this and eight other urgent issues.

The final recommendations, incorporating the EC's input, are expected to be submitted to the government in early April.

EC INITIATIVE

In January, the EC formed a six-strong committee to update the policy on domestic and foreign observers. The draft has already been submitted for review, according to Joint Secretary SM Asaduzzaman, director general of EC's Electoral Training Institute.

“Election observation is a critical process,” Commissioner Anwarul said.

He added that several observer organisations approved during the last election have faced criticism, necessitating a clean-up in how observers are registered and assigned.

The EC plans to replace the 2023 policy introduced under the Awami League government. Once the new rules are approved, all previously registered local organisations will have their licences revoked automatically, and they will need to reapply.

“The new rules will require observers to have HSC qualifications. Aside from that, the rest of the policy will remain the same. Registrations will be valid for five years following a vetting process,” the commissioner said.

The EC will also scrutinise observer groups and individuals for links with political parties or candidates and weed out fraudulent or interest-driven organisations.

OBSERVERS REACT

Election observers have largely welcomed the proposal to raise the minimum qualification to HSC.

Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, chairman of the Jatiya Nirbachon Parjabekkhon Parishad, or National Election Observation Council, said: “Even better would be to require a university degree. We’ve always called for international standard observers. Observation requires skill, and we need mobile teams rather than just static observers at polling stations.”

He also recommended a fresh public call for observer applications to ensure transparency.

“We’ve been in this space for a long time and have trained people. But during elections, many dubious organisations also show up -- sometimes with a motive. For some, this is a seasonal business or driven by misconceptions. That’s why local observers should meet international standards.”

Munira Khan, president of the Fair Election Monitoring Alliance (FEMA) and chair of the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS), also supported the idea.

“A bachelor's degree would be ideal. But above all, training is crucial. Observers must remain silent, make no public statements, and simply observe and report. That’s the standard we need to meet.”