Bangladesh’s three previous national elections not credible: Ivars Ijabs

European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) Chief Observer Ivars Ijabs today (11 January) 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 12 February.

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.

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.

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.