EC invites applications from international election observers
Foreign media to observe polls
The Election Commission has invited applications from the International Election Observers or Observer Organisations and the Foreign Media intending to monitor the upcoming referendum and national election scheduled for 12 February.
International observers or observer organisations and the foreign media were asked to apply by 17 January 2026 in line with the "Guidelines for International Election Observers and Foreign Media 2025", said a notice issued by the Election Commission today (18 December).
The notice signed by EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said Bangladesh Election Commission is committed to hold free, fair, credible and participatory elections and for ensuring that the commission keeps all activities of the election process open to observations.
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"In this context, we expect Election Observers and Media across the world to observe the upcoming Referendum and 13th Parliamentary elections along with our local observers at their convenience," it read.
The "Guidelines for International Election Observers and Foreign Media 2025" and related forms are available in www.ecs.gov.bd.
In the case of having any queries, the international observers and foreign media were asked to contact Ruhul Amin Mollik, director, public relations, EC Secretariat as he could be accessed through email: dirpr@ecs.gov.bd and cell phone: +8801715295046 (WhatsApp).
Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on 11 December announced the schedule to arrange the 13th parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order simultaneously on 12 February next.
According to the election schedule, the deadline for the submission of nomination paper is 29 December, while the scrutiny of nomination paper is on 30 December-4 January and the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is 20 January.
The election campaign will start on 22 January and continue till 48 hours before the balloting period (7:30am on 10 February).
So far, two-three international organisations and countries, including the European Union (EU) confirmed that they would send their observer missions to Bangladesh.
The EC Secretary yesterday said the EU would send 175-200 observers to monitor the upcoming parliamentary election and the referendum and EU Parliament member Ivars Ijabs would lead its observer mission in Bangladesh.
"Some 175-200 EU observers will arrive here at different times to observe the polls," he said.
He said the EU observers would come here to watch the election following a tripartite agreement signed among the Election Commission, the foreign ministry of Bangladesh and the EU on Monday last.
The High Representative/Vice President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas decided to deploy an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) to observe the Bangladesh election and appointed Ivars Ijabs as its chief observer.
