United News of Bangladesh

Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Bangladesh Ivars Ijabs on Thursday said it is really a big day for Bangladesh’s democracy as they observed the country’s twin elections-- national election and referendum - across the country. "I think this really a big day for Bangladesh’s democracy," he told reporters at Siddheswari Girls' College at New Bailey Road after observing the opening of the vote casting. Ijabs said they were all looking forward to have 'participatory, credible and trusted' elections in Bangladesh in this historical moment. He said they will continue to monitor the vote counting process. Talking to reporters after visiting Curzon Hall polling centre at Dhaka University, Ijabs said the EU mission is closely monitoring voting across the country through its observers deployed nationwide. “We have seen a lot of positive enthusiasm and participation on behalf of Bangladeshi citizens, and let us all hope that it’s going to stay like that until the very end of the voting,” he said. They deployed 90 short-term observers (STOs) to observe the election day proceedings in all 64 administrative districts of the country. The short-term observers will observe opening of polling centres, voting, closing, as well as counting of the ballots and the tabulation of results. With a total of 200 observers deployed across the country, he said they are contributing to the transparency of these historic elections. The EU EOM chief said the mission is maintaining online contact with its observers stationed across Bangladesh and receiving regular updates on the opening of polling stations, voter turnout and overall conduct of the election process. “They are reporting on how the polling stations are being opened, how many people participate. And, of course, we are getting the reports from everywhere in the country where all our observers are,” he said. Ijabs reiterated that the EU mission remains strictly neutral. “We are absolutely neutral. We are not taking part in any political process. We are observing,” he said. He said the mission has deployed over 200 observers across Bangladesh, covering cities, towns and rural areas, to ensure a comprehensive and fact-based assessment of the election. According to him, most polling stations observed so far opened on time, while the voting process was continuing peacefully. Responding to queries from journalists, the chief observer said the mission receives various types of information as part of its observation work but would refrain from making comments during the ongoing voting process. “As for our comments on the process, we will produce them later on, because otherwise, that would be involvement in the politics and the voting process,” he said. The EU EOM is expected to release its preliminary report at 12pm on February 14, following completion of its assessment of polling, counting and tabulation processes.

European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) Chief Observer Ivars Ijabs on Sunday said he witnessed positive feelings and strong enthusiasm across the country regarding the upcoming polls and the referendum, noting that the previous three parliamentary elections were not considered credible. He made the remarks during his meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus held at state guesthouse Jamuna. “There was no discussion during the meeting regarding the Awami League or its participation in the election,” said Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam while briefing the reporters at the Foreign Service Academy. Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder and Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad also spoke at the briefing. In response to an invitation by the authorities of Bangladesh, the European Union has deployed an Election Observation Mission for the parliamentary elections scheduled for February 12. Bangladesh Election: EU Chief Observer clarifies ‘inclusive, participatory’ meaning The EU EOM, led by Chief Observer Ivars Ijabs, a Member of the European Parliament from Latvia, commenced its activities in late December 2025 and is scaling up with the arrival of 56 long-term observers, who will be deployed to all 64 administrative districts of Bangladesh. This is the first fully-fledged election observation the EU is deploying to Bangladesh since 2008. The Chief Observer said the EU is going to send a large election observation team to Bangladesh, noting that the forthcoming election will be historic for the country. During his meeting with Prof Yunus, they discussed preparations for the upcoming national election and referendum. Press Secretary Alam described the meeting as very important, with extensive discussions covering election preparedness, the level playing field for political parties, and the referendum, particularly the ‘Yes’ vote. He said though the EU does not send election observer missions to many countries, it has decided to do so for Bangladesh because of the country's large population, its strong trade partnership with the EU, and the fact that Bangladesh is regarded as a close friend. Alam also noted that during the nearly sixteen years of Sheikh Hasina's tenure, the EU did not send any election observation mission. Bangladesh Polls: EC hearings restore candidacies of most petitioners Ijabs informed the Chief Adviser that the EU election observation mission will spread across the country, monitor all areas, and engage in discussions with major political parties as well as other stakeholders. Chief Adviser Prof Yunus assured the EU that the upcoming election and referendum would be completed smoothly and would be free, fair, credible, peaceful, and festive. He said the Election Commission and the interim government are fully prepared to ensure the smooth conduct of both the election and the referendum, adding that a level playing field will be ensured for all political parties and that he does not foresee any major problems in this regard. Prof Yunus thanked the EU for sending the election observation mission, describing it as "extremely important" for holding a credible election and for Bangladesh's democratic transition. EU EOM chief stresses inclusive participation in Bangladesh polls, credible turnout Regarding the ‘Yes’ vote for referendum, the interim government is conducting and will continue to conduct campaigns and awareness-building activities. SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Morshed and EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller, among others, were present at the meeting.