Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said that there was no election engineering in the election. Nothing happened that could be said to have been election engineering. He said this at a press conference organized to release the report titled 'Thirteenth National Parliament Election Process and Affidavit-Based Observation' at the Midas Center in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, this morning (Monday, February 16).

He further said, "The Awami League had announced a boycott and resistance to the elections. Therefore, the elections were inclusive without them."

According to TIB data, 209 people have become members of parliament for the first time. This time, the average age of the members of parliament is 59, which is the lowest average age in the country's history.

The TIB report said that while the Awami League officially took a negative stance regarding the 13th National Parliament elections, a section of the party's leaders, activists and supporters unofficially participated in political activities, including exercising their voting rights. As a result, the organization claimed that the party had direct and indirect involvement in both roles.

The report states that the interim government has suspended the registration of the Awami League and banned its activities and student organizations. However, at the same time, the Awami League has remained steadfast in its position, declaring the July Uprising and the interim government illegal and conspiratorial.

The TIB also said that despite the announcement of preventing the election by declaring it institutionally illegal, a section of the party's workers and supporters at the field level participated in the election as voters. Although a section of the party boycotted the vote - which also applies to ordinary voters, the report noted.

According to the report, there was competition among the influential political parties participating in the elections to attract votes for the Awami League at the field level. In particular, the candidates of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Azam Alliance and the Jatiya Party played an active role in this regard. This was also reflected in the response of Awami League leaders and activists, and in many cases they directly joined other participating parties or actively participated in their campaigns.

The TIB report said that the Awami League had a steadfast position in declaring the July coup and the interim government illegal and conspiratorial. The Awami League's announcement and activities to institutionally invalidate and obstruct the elections and the Awami League's active presence in the negative role of the elections and the electoral environment have been seen.

The organization says that there has been competition among many influential political parties participating in the election, especially the BNP and Jamaat alliance and the Jatiya Party, to attract votes for the Awami League at the field level. Awami League leaders and activists have also responded to this and in many cases have joined some of the parties directly participating in the election and actively participated in the campaign.