Bangladesh’s upcoming 13th general election is drawing unprecedented international attention, with 330 foreign observers confirmed so far to monitor the vote and the referendum on the July National Charter, both scheduled for February.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Election Commission, six international organisations, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), will deploy at least 63 observers. They will join missions from the European Union, 16 individual countries, and 32 observers affiliated with various global organisations, according to the Chief Adviser's Press Wing.
The scale of international monitoring marks a sharp jump from previous elections and more than doubles the number of observers present during the controversial January 7, 2024, polls. By comparison, the 12th, 11th and 10th general elections were monitored by 158, 125 and just four international observers, respectively.
The OIC observer mission will be led by Shakir Mahmood Bandar, head of its Election Observation Unit. Other confirmed delegations include 28 observers from the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), 25 from the Commonwealth Secretariat, seven from the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI) and one from the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
An additional 32 observers will monitor the election in their individual capacities, representing organisations such as Voice for Justice, Democracy International, SNAS Africa, the SAARC Human Rights Foundation and the Polish Institute of International Affairs.
Officials expect the number to rise further. “We expect the number of international observers to increase, as several countries invited to send observer missions have yet to confirm the names of their delegates,” said Senior Secretary and SDG Coordinator Lamiya Murshed, who is overseeing coordination of the observer visits.
Countries yet to confirm their delegations include India, Nepal, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, France, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria and Romania. The Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA) is also expected to announce its observers soon.
The high level of international interest comes as nearly 2,000 candidates from more than 50 political parties, along with independents, prepare to contest the 300 seats in parliament. The general election will be held alongside a nationwide referendum on the July National Charter, adding another layer of political significance to the February polls.