EU observer hails Bangladesh election as “milestone for democracy”
European Union Election Observation Mission characterized Thursday's vote as a pivotal moment for Bangladesh's democratic development
DHAKA (MNTV) – Ivars Ijabs, who leads the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), characterized Thursday’s vote as a pivotal moment for Bangladesh’s democratic development.
Speaking to journalists at Siddheswari Girls’ College on New Bailey Road following his observation of polling procedures, Ijabs emphasized the significance of the day for the nation’s political system.
The EU mission is seeking what Ijabs described as a “participatory, credible and trusted” electoral outcome and plans to maintain oversight throughout the counting process nationwide.
After touring the Curzon Hall polling station at Dhaka University late Thursday morning, Ijabs announced that his team would issue an initial assessment of the national vote on Saturday, February 14.
The EU has committed 200 observers to this effort, including 90 short-term personnel.
This represents the first comprehensive EU monitoring operation in Bangladesh in 17 years, since 2008.
The mission includes additional observers from Norway, Switzerland and Canada.
The Chief Adviser’s Office confirmed that 394 international monitors are overseeing both the 13th general election and a concurrent national referendum, while 197 foreign media professionals are providing coverage.
The international presence breaks down as follows: 80 observers from organizations, 240 from bilateral partner nations, and 51 independent experts from global institutions.
This figure exceeds the previous January 2024 election’s monitoring presence by more than twofold.
Historical context shows a dramatic increase in scrutiny: 158 observers attended in 2018, 125 in 2014, and merely four in 2008.
Major monitoring delegations include the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) with 28 observers, the Commonwealth Secretariat with 27, the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI) with 19, and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) with one representative.
Additional organizations participating include the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) with two observers, the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) with two, and the European External Action Service with one.
Twenty-one nations have sent representatives, among them Pakistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Jordan, Türkiye, Iran, Georgia, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, South Africa, and Nigeria.
Fifty-one independent monitors affiliated with Voice for Justice, Democracy International, SNAS Africa, the SAARC Human Rights Foundation, and the Polish Institute of International Affairs are conducting autonomous assessments.
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