Australia pledges AU$2m to support Bangladesh's US$18.53m BALLOT project

Australia has pledged AU$2 million to support Bangladesh in holding a transparent, inclusive, and peaceful national election, becoming the first partner to support the BALLOT project – a joint initiative implemented by UNDP, UN Women, and Unesco to assist Bangladesh ahead of a national election.

The BALLOT project has an estimated total cost of US$18.53 million and is scheduled to run through 31 December 2027. It aims to ensure that the next national election is one of the most transparent and credible in Bangladesh's history.

The commitment was formalised at a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony held today (18 June) at the Election Commission in Dhaka. 

The agreement was signed by Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Susan Ryle and UNDP Bangladesh Resident Representative Stefan Liller in the presence of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin.

Following the ceremony, Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed stated, "We have been seeking UNDP's support since the formation of the current commission. Initially, they helped us with voter registration by providing laptops, scanners, cameras, and other office equipment. This MoU is a continuation of that collaboration."

He added that the BALLOT project is already underway and will focus on both immediate election preparations and long-term institutional strengthening.

He also confirmed that Australia has pledged to contribute AU$2 million to the project.

UNDP's Stefan Liller noted that a UN needs assessment mission visited Bangladesh earlier this year to determine the type of support the country requires ahead of the national polls. 

"Over the last few months, those recommendations have been consolidated into the BALLOT project, which has been approved at record speed by the Government of Bangladesh," he said.

"The project was signed between the UN, the Elections Commission and the Economic Relations Division a couple of weeks ago. We're very happy and proud that today Australia has come forth as the first partner and donor to this very important project," he added.

Expressing optimism about further international backing, he said, "We are in discussions with other development partners and hope they will also come forward. We all hope this will be the best election in Bangladesh's history."

Australian High Commissioner Susan Ryle said, "Australia and Bangladesh are close friends and partners. We welcome the opportunity to support Bangladesh as it moves towards free, fair, and democratic elections. We recently hosted officials from the Electoral Reform Commission in Australia for training and knowledge-sharing on voter registration and national ID systems."

"Through this AUD 2 million contribution, we aim to support transparency, broader participation, and sustainable electoral reforms. We are proud to play even a small role in supporting this important democratic process," she added.

The BALLOT Project is a three-year initiative structured in two phases. The first phase focuses on immediate electoral support, including technical preparations and voter outreach. 

The second phase aims to institutionalise reforms and strengthen democratic resilience beyond the upcoming election cycle.