Dhaka: The European Union’s (EU) ‘exploratory mission,’ known as EUEM, initiated discussions today with officials from the Election Commission (EC) regarding the potential deployment of an observation mission for Bangladesh’s upcoming 13th parliamentary elections. The meeting marks a significant step in assessing the feasibility and readiness for international observation during the electoral process.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the meeting was attended by a group of four EC officials led by the commission’s joint secretary, Moin Uddin Khan. The EUEM team, consisting of eight members, was headed by senior election expert Riccardo Chellery. The discussions took place at 3 pm in the EC’s conference room, focusing on the logistical and procedural aspects of deploying an observation mission.
EC’s assistant director and alternative information officer, Asadul Haque, mentioned that the EU’s pre-election mission planned to meet with Election Commissioner retired brigadier general Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah later in the day. Throughout their visit to Bangladesh, the EUEM team is engaging with various government and private stakeholders to gain insights on the prevailing election issues.
EC Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed previously highlighted that the EUEM team would engage with EC officials and the commissioner to discuss strategies for ensuring free and fair elections. The discussions are also expected to cover the overall political environment in the lead-up to the polls.