Number of foreign observers already past those in last three polls
The number of foreign observers preparing to monitor the February 12 polls has already exceeded those of the last three national elections, reflecting heightened global interest in Bangladesh's democratic transition.
The European Union has confirmed it will send at least 175 observers, and the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI) has said it will dispatch a10-member team.
Officials from the Election Commission and the foreign ministry said they expect the US-based National Democratic Institute, the Commonwealth, SAARC countries, several other Asian nations, and Bangkok-based Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) to also send observers.
A total of 158 international observers monitored the 2024 polls, 125 the 2018 election, and four the 2014 polls.
EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed yesterday also told this newspaper that the EU will send 175-200 international observers.
Munira Khan, president of the Fair Election Monitoring Alliance, said, "The international interest in how free and fair the election will be has grown compared to before because the last three elections were not credible."
Another reason for the increased attention is the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, she added.
The presence of foreign observers was comparatively limited in the previous three disputed elections. Two of those, in 2014 and 2024, were one‑sided contests boycotted by major opposition parties, while the 2018 election was marred by ballot stuffing on the night before polling day.
On October 28, EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller, in a meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, conveyed the EU's plan to deploy a large delegation to observe the upcoming election, marking the first such mission since 2008.
Some of the EU observer mission is expected to arrive about six weeks before the election, and others may join a week before polling day, he said.
The EU's pre-election observation mission visited Bangladesh in September and subsequently submitted an assessment report to the EU.
Based on the report, the EU has decided to send a full-fledged election observation mission this time.
Ivars Ijabs, a member of the European Parliament, will serve as the chief observer of the EU delegation.
In an October 21 meeting with Yunus, an IRI delegation confirmed that the American non-profit organisation will send at least 10 international observers for Bangladesh's national election.
"We will have robust election observation in February," said the delegation head, Christopher J. Fussner, also an IRI director.
Deployment of election observers is expected to help mitigate the chances of violence during the vote, he said.
An IRI pre-election team visited Bangladesh in October and submitted its report.
The total number of observers from the US, including the IRI delegation, is expected to be about 50, according to EC and foreign ministry officials.
The Commonwealth mission, meanwhile, is likely to comprise about 30 observers. Its pre-election team also visited Bangladesh in October.
The Bangkok-based ANFREL conducted a pre-election assessment mission in Bangladesh from November 21 to December 5.
"We will deploy an international election observation mission for the parliamentary election, but the number is yet to be finalised," said Afsana Anayat Amey, programme associate — Bangladesh Elections and Democracy Programme of ANFREL.
Meanwhile, the EC yesterday instructed all educational institutions designated as polling centres to ensure that their existing CCTV cameras remain operational.
The directive further states that at centres without CCTV coverage, the managing committees or authorities should be requested to make arrangements for CCTV installation for polling day.
The commission has also instructed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to ensure equal opportunities for all candidates in election campaigns broadcast on Bangladesh Television (BTV) and all private TV channels ahead of the polls.
