394 international observers, 197 foreign journalists in Dhaka to monitor election

The thirteenth national parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter, scheduled to be held tomorrow, Thursday, February 12, have drawn unprecedented international attention, with hundreds of foreign observers and journalists arriving in Dhaka.

A total of 394 international election observers and 197 foreign journalists are already in the capital to witness and monitor the polls.

According to the Chief Adviser’s press wing, the number of observers in this election is more than double that of the controversial 2024 election. Among them, 80 observers represent various international organisations, while 240 are from bilateral partner countries, including independent European observers. In addition, 51 individuals are monitoring the election under personal initiatives linked to different global institutions.

The figure marks a significant increase compared to previous elections. The eleventh parliamentary election had 158 observers, the twelfth had 125, while the tenth election saw only four international observers.

Major global organisations have also sent observer teams. The Asian Network for Free Elections has deployed 28 observers, the Commonwealth Secretariat 27, the US-based International Republican Institute 19 and the National Democratic Institute one. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the International Conference of Asian Political Parties have sent two observers each, while one representative has arrived from the European External Action Service.

International observers’ coordinator and senior secretary for SDG affairs Lamia Morshed said the positive response from countries and organisations has been encouraging. She described it as a reflection of the international community’s confidence in the interim government’s efforts to hold a free, fair and participatory election.

The list of observers includes several high-profile figures, such as former Ghanaian president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Bhutan’s chief election commissioner Deki Pema, former Turkish ambassador to Bangladesh Mehmet Vakur Erkul, former UK House of Lords government deputy chief whip Lord Richard Newby, Malaysian Election Commission official Ramlan Bin Harun and Iranian parliamentarian Behnam Saeedi, a member of the presiding board of the foreign policy and national security commission.

More than 50 political parties and over 2,000 independent candidates are contesting parliamentary seats this time. With the referendum on the July National Charter being held on the same day, the election is being seen as one of the most significant chapters in the country’s history.