Foreign observers are set to participate on a large scale in monitoring the upcoming 13th parliamentary election.

Several hundred foreign observers may be involved in observing the election scheduled to be held on 12 February. Election Commission (EC) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials, sharing this information, said that this will be the highest number of foreign observers to monitor a national election since 2008.

Sources in the EC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that a number of international organisations—including the United States–based International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI), the European Union (EU), and the Commonwealth—will observe the election.

In addition, observers from various countries will join the foreign election observer missions.

A senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Prothom Alo on Sunday that among the foreign observer groups expressing interest in monitoring the 13th parliamentary election, the EU delegation will be the largest.

From the 27-member European bloc, a delegation of 150–180 members is preparing to come to Bangladesh on both short and long-term missions.

Another senior ministry official said that the delegation from the United States is expected to have around 50 members, led by the IRI. The Commonwealth observer mission is expected to comprise around 30 members.