SS Report
Dhaka, 11 January 2026:
The European Union (EU) has deployed a full-fledged Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Bangladesh ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for 12 February 2026, following an invitation from the Bangladeshi authorities. This marks the EU’s first comprehensive election observation mission to the country since 2008.
The mission is led by Ivars Ijabs, a Latvian Member of the European Parliament, and began its work in late December 2025. It is now scaling up with the arrival of 56 long-term observers who will be deployed across all 64 administrative districts of Bangladesh.
Chief Observer Ijabs said the mission underscores the EU’s commitment to its partnership with Bangladesh, founded on mutual respect and shared democratic values. During his initial visit, he met a wide range of electoral stakeholders to gain first-hand insights into the ongoing electoral process.
The EU EOM will observe and analyse key aspects of the elections, including preparations, the legal framework and its implementation, campaign conduct, media coverage, and electoral dispute resolution. It will also assess the overall environment for political and civic participation, with particular attention to women, youth and vulnerable groups. Dedicated teams will monitor traditional and social media to evaluate voters’ access to balanced and accurate information.
At full capacity, the mission will comprise around 200 observers from all 27 EU member states, as well as Canada, Norway and Switzerland. The EU EOM will issue a preliminary statement on 14 February, followed by a comprehensive final report with recommendations approximately two months later.