Global Observers to Monitor Bangladesh Election, Referendum

Major international organizations, including the Commonwealth and the European Union (EU), are sending large observer missions to monitor Bangladesh’s upcoming general election and the referendum on the “July Reform Charter,” scheduled to be held on February 12.

According to reports from London, former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo will lead a 14-member Commonwealth Observer Group. The announcement was made earlier this month by Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland.

The team led by Akufo-Addo will include Commonwealth experts with experience in politics, law, media, gender equality, and electoral administration. A Secretariat support team, headed by Linford Andrews, Head and Adviser of the Electoral Support Section, will assist the observer mission.

In a statement issued on January 21, the Commonwealth said the primary objective of its observer group is to independently assess whether the election and referendum are conducted in a credible, transparent, and inclusive manner. The statement added that the assessment would be based on Bangladesh’s national laws and the standards the country has committed to uphold.

Members of the Commonwealth observer team include former Maldivian Deputy Foreign Minister Jeffrey Salim Wahid, former Sierra Leonean Foreign Minister David John Francis, former Malaysian Senator Ras Adiba Mohd Radzi, as well as representatives from Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and several other countries.

Meanwhile, the European Union has confirmed that around 200 observers from the EU’s 27 member states, along with Norway, Switzerland, and Canada, will participate in its Election Observation Mission (EOM). The mission will be led by Latvian Member of the European Parliament Ivars Ijabs and will include seven additional MEPs from countries such as Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain, who are scheduled to visit Bangladesh between February 10 and 14.

The EU’s core observation team began its work on December 29. The 11-member analyst team is examining legal, political, and campaign-related aspects of the electoral process. In addition, 56 long-term observers were deployed across the country on January 17, with another 90 short-term observers set to join shortly before polling day.

The EU has pledged to strictly adhere to international codes of conduct on election day, assuring full neutrality and non-interference in Bangladesh’s electoral process.

From the government side, Lamia Morshed, Chief Coordinator for SDGs and Senior Secretary overseeing observer coordination, said Bangladesh is receiving increasingly positive responses from international organizations. She noted that the strong interest from observers reflects their confidence in the interim government and the Election Commission, and will help ensure a free and fair election.

On February 12, voters will elect representatives to all 300 parliamentary seats, with nearly 2,000 candidates—nominated by more than 50 political parties as well as independents—contesting the polls. On the same day, a nationwide referendum will be held on the July Reform Charter.