Despite numerous objections, controversies, irregularities, and boycotts, the 12th National Assembly elections have concluded. The Awami League secured a significant number of seats. A record number of independent candidates accompany them. Despite the participation of some celebrities in the election, they faced defeat. Candidates who participated in the election by betraying the BNP also experienced losses. Major candidates like Hasanul Haque Inu and Kader Siddiqui suffered defeats. The media also faced setbacks in providing news and information on polling day.
Most of the daily newspapers and television channels have failed to publish detailed reports on the conflict since the beginning of the election campaign. Bengali dailies like Prothom Alo, Kaler Kantha, Samakal, Jugantor, and English dailies like Daily Star and TBS regularly covered news of the clashes, but they omitted printing the details. Furthermore, a trend of downplaying some candidates while promoting others was evident in their coverage. Throughout the elections, there was a lack of strong oppositional viewpoints presented in any media outlets. While some interviews were published, the editorials and opinion sections did not include dissenting opinions. Clearly, the majority of the media appeared to be in support of an election marred by rigging and illegitimacy.
During that period, foreign media, including the New York Times, criticised the election harshly. They depicted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as authoritarian and dictatorial. Conversely, the media's attempts to cover an election with a predetermined outcome were noteworthy. Some outlets dedicated separate pages to election coverage, providing informative articles about rival candidates within those sections.
Journalists were observed not delving into the details of the assets declared by Awami League MP-ministers in their affidavits. Instead, they crafted news stories solely based on received information. News reports indicated that the Election Commission lacked involvement in verifying the information provided by these MP-ministers. However, there was a reluctance to acknowledge that journalists had limited scope as well. Government surveillance on the press was evident, notably witnessed the day before the election. Across different regions, accessing Manab Zamin and Samakal online encountered issues. Manab Zamin attributed this problem not to any fault of their own, while Samakal remained silent. Interestingly, the owner of Samakal was a candidate in the election and emerged victorious. No critical news surfaced against him in the media. Instead, Prothom Alo and other outlets consistently highlighted his candidacy and subsequent journey to the polls.
Allegations surfaced claiming that polling centres were empty even on the day of the elections, with reports of rigging, fake voting, and obstacles faced by the media in reporting irregularities. Newspaper establishments displayed limited enthusiasm in dispatching journalists to polling stations, often imposing restrictions on what kind of news could be reported. For instance, instances where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina purportedly received 100% of the votes in at least two centres were not covered by mainstream media.
Furthermore, outlets like Samakal, Channel Twenty Four, Gazi TV, and Jamuna Television have been accused of broadcasting news favouring their respective owners' interests. Jamuna Television notably aired vote rigging videos and information on a significant scale, but the Election Commission seemingly did not take any action against them.
Additionally, when the Chief Election Commissioner provided conflicting information about voter turnout within an hour, the media misrepresented these statements. As a result, the actual voter turnout remains uncertain. There's also skepticism about the media's future interest in delving deeper into this matter.