EU to send 200 observers during national election

Member of the European Parliament and Chief Observer of the EU Election Observation Mission Ivars Ijab has said a 200-member EU delegation will observe Bangladesh’s upcoming 13th parliamentary election.

He said this to reporters after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin at Nirbachan Bhaban at Agargaon in Dhaka on Thursday.

Ijab said EU long-term observers are working in Bangladesh since the end of December while short-term observers will join with advanced team on 12 February.

The delegation will include members of the European Parliament and will stay in Bangladesh throughout the election period.

He noted that holding a referendum alongside the parliamentary election poses a challenge for the Election Commission.

“The Commission has informed us that the parliamentary elections and the referendum are being held simultaneously, which is a challenge for them. However, we hope that the Commission will be able to manage the matter properly,” he said.

Ijab emphasized that the EU mission would observe the electoral process impartially.

“We are here to help. We will observe the election process completely impartially, because Bangladesh is a very important partner of the European Union,” he added.

Describing the polls as significant, he said the election would be historic in the context of the 2024 popular uprising and expressed hope that the parliament formed under the interim government would play a decisive role in shaping the country’s future.