Bangladesh Manobadhikar Samonnoy Parishad (BMSP) organised the seminar on its public opinion survey on electoral reforms proposed by the Election Commission (EC).

"Election is not the end in itself but a means to the end. We have witnessed how parliaments failed in the past to play their role and remained dysfunctional after free and fair elections," former adviser to the caretaker government M Hafizudddin Khan said at the seminar.

He said Bangladesh has always had backward movement in its way to democracy rather than forward movement. Once elected, lawmakers remain outside parliament and instead start getting involved in all sorts of facilities work like wheat distribution.

Of the reform proposals, Hafizuddin opposed the provision for raising the election expenditure because "the lawmakers try to realise the money they spend for election purposes".

Another former adviser ASM Shahjahan also observed that there is no other option but to implement the reforms.

Emphasising the role of political parties in democracy, he said bad politicians are driving out the good ones.

"In the name of elections, Bangladesh has had 'auctions' where nominations were sold to black money and muscle power," Shahjahan said, adding that the elections should be held after proper reforms.

Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Citizens for Good Governance, urged the EC to reconsider its decision to operate voters' registration task at camps instead of by visiting door-to-door.

"The Election Commission has raised some logistical problems regarding going door-to-door, but the solutions are not unreachable," he said.

Badiul Alam said the revised draft of Representation of People Order 1972 and the proposed code of conduct prepared by the Election Commission reflect the recommendations of the civil society, but the EC is yet to take any initiative to ensure people's right to know about the candidates.

He said the EC should not get involved in preparing the national ID card. Its sole responsibility is to hold a free and fair election, he said, adding that the EC will confuse the people by preparing the national ID card.

The speakers observed that the EC should put more efforts to de-link it from the Prime Minister's Office and should seriously think of its independence.

AHM Nouman, secretary general of Development Organisation of the Rural Poor, MA Matin, secretary general of Fema, also spoke at the event.