Dhaka: Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Bangladesh, Ivars Ijabs, on Thursday remarked that the initiation of the country’s twin elections-a national election and a referendum-marks a significant milestone for Bangladesh’s democratic process. Ijabs made these comments to reporters at Siddheswari Girls’ College on New Bailey Road, where he observed the commencement of the voting process.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Ijabs emphasized the importance of having ‘participatory, credible, and trusted’ elections during this historic event. He assured that the EU EOM would continuously monitor the elections across Bangladesh, from the opening of the polls to the counting of votes at the end of the day.
Further elaborating on the mission’s operations, Ijabs mentioned plans to provide additional updates later in the day after visiting Curzon Hall at Dhaka University. He highlighted the deployment of 90 short-term observers (STOs) to oversee the election day proceedings in all 64 administrative districts.
The STOs are tasked with observing the opening of polling centers, the voting process itself, the closing of polls, counting of ballots, and tabulation of results. “The short-term observers will be present in cities, towns, and villages in almost every constituency. Their observations and reports throughout the day will be a critical element of our impartial and fact-based assessment of these historic elections,” Ijabs explained.
In total, 200 observers have been deployed across the nation, contributing to the transparency and integrity of these significant elections.