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Electoral corruption has in recent times gained popularity as a field of research among political scientists and election-watchers because of its negative influence on the construction, consolidation and sustenance of democracy in the Third World. A free and fair electoral system, perceived to be one of the central tenets of representative democracy, creates``a sentiment of popular consent and participation'' among voters and provides for``orderly succession in government'' (Mackenzie 1958, 13±14). It bestows legitimacy on an elected government's policies and programs and gives credibility to its actions. On the other hand, if the electoral system is abused, it cannot advance the democratic process. If parties come to power through unfair means, it is unlikely that they will honestly go about the business of government, especially in terms of transparency and accountability in governance. On the contrary, they are likely to be obsessed with the preservation of their hold on power even if that requires further deviations from electoral ethics.Developing nations, even those with long democratic traditions, commonly experience the dilemma of electoral corruption. Several factors, some deeprooted and socio-cultural in nature, impinge upon the electoral process to the detriment of the political system. The economic condition of the country, especially the level of poverty among voters, absence of sound educational infrastructure, lack of political awareness among the majority in the electorate, incoherence of the party system, undemocratic behaviour of party leaders and activists, political bigotry, and patron-client relations are some of the causes of electoral corruption in developing polities. A political culture that features politicians' and voters' respect for democratic values is yet to fully crystallise in Third World nations. While political office-seekers and parties are the leading Asian Studies Review.

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The transition to democracy in bangladesh after the overthrow of the authoritarian regime in 1990 began with the formation of a non-political caretaker administration (NCA) to prepare the ground for the transfer of power to a popularly mandated government. Its other important purpose was to manage the affairs of the state during the interlude that separated the dissolution of the authoritarian regime (December 1990) and the complete installation of the democratically-elected government (September 1991) to rule the country in its own right.The need for this NCA was imperative in the wake of the dismantling of authoritarian rule. The attempts of the ousted regime to conduct a third election, while still in power, were not acceptable to its political adversaries, given the former's proven tendency to unduly inf luence the electoral process in the past.