EU Considers Sending 150 Observers for Bangladesh National Election

The European Union (EU) is preparing to send up to 150 observers to monitor Bangladesh’s upcoming national election, Election Commission (EC) Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed confirmed on Monday.

Speaking to reporters at the EC headquarters in the capital, Ahmed said discussions are underway to sign a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Election Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the EU. A draft MoU has already been submitted by the EU delegation and is under review.

According to Ahmed, the observers will not all arrive at once but are expected to come in phases after the election schedule is officially announced. The EU team has sought clarification on whether observers will be permitted inside polling stations and during the vote-counting process.

Currently, a seven-member EU pre-election expert mission, led by senior election specialist Riccardo Chellery, is in Bangladesh from September 18 to October 7. Their visit aims to assess the pre-election environment ahead of the general polls scheduled for early February.