M F Rahaman
Dhaka, Jan 17, 2026:
The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Bangladesh on Friday deployed 56 long-term observers across all 64 administrative districts, marking a key phase in its monitoring of the country’s upcoming national elections.
The long-term observers (LTOs) will assess critical aspects of the electoral process at the regional level, including the political environment, election administration, campaign activities, media coverage, and voter engagement. Their findings will support the analysis of the EU EOM core team based in Dhaka.
“The long-term observers are a critical element of our mission. Their observations and insights will ground our impartial and fact-based evaluation of the electoral process,” Deputy Chief Observer Inta Lase said.
According to the mission, observers will work in pairs and engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including voters, election officials, candidates, political parties, citizen observers, and youth activists. Their work will extend beyond major cities to small towns and villages across the country.
The EU EOM applies a long-term, nationwide observation methodology aimed at providing a balanced and comprehensive assessment of the electoral process. Observers have been drawn from EU member states as well as Canada, Norway, and Switzerland, and received extensive briefings prior to deployment on Bangladesh’s electoral framework, political context, and media and social landscape.
The mission was deployed at the invitation of the Bangladeshi authorities and is led by Chief Observer Ivars Ijabs, a Member of the European Parliament. He officially launched the mission at a press conference in Dhaka on January 11.
As election day approaches, the EU EOM will be reinforced by 90 short-term observers, along with observers from EU member state diplomatic missions and from Canada, Norway, and Switzerland. A delegation from the European Parliament will also join the mission. At full capacity, the EU EOM will comprise around 200 observers.
The mission plans to release its preliminary findings at a press conference in Dhaka on February 14. A final report, including recommendations for future electoral processes, will be submitted to the authorities after the completion of the entire electoral process. Both reports will be made public.
The EU EOM operates under a strict code of conduct requiring neutrality and non-interference and works in line with the 2005 Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation endorsed under United Nations auspices.
Source: EU EOM