Since the Awami League's fourth consecutive victory in what appeared to be an essentially one-sided election, much of the discussion has centred around the future trajectory of politics and the potential impact on business and the economy. A crucial institutions - the Election Commission - should not  skip a closer scrutiny of its role in managing the election, which allowed the ruling party to manipulate the system adeptly and walk away unchallenged. During an event on January 18, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal, without taking any responsibility, finally acknowledged that ‘people's confidence in the electoral system had declined. The CEC’s realisation that ‘the election was not sufficiently participatory’, and “the crisis still remains as the polls had not been acceptable to some parties” makes us wonder how he could still claim that  “the nation could overcome a crisis through this election?”. His remarks at the thanks-giving event at the commission indi...