Dhaka: European Union Election Observation Missions (EU EOM) members, in Bangladesh to oversee the upcoming parliamentary elections, recently met with Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Professor Ali Riaz to outline their monitoring strategy. Political Analyst Marcel Nagi and Election Analyst Vasil Vashchanka attended the discussions with Prof Riaz, who is the Chief Coordinator of the public awareness campaign for the 13th National Parliamentary Election and the Referendum.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the meeting was attended by Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Monir Haider. The European Union has deployed an Election Observation Mission at the invitation of the Bangladesh government to monitor the parliamentary election scheduled for February 12. During the meeting, EU EOM officials discussed their objectives and monitoring plans with Prof Riaz.
The EU EOM informed that their core team, comprising nearly 200 observers and 11 analysts, arrived in Dhaka on December 29, 2025. Starting January 17, 56 long-term observers will be stationed across Bangladesh to monitor the electoral process and report back to the core team. As election day nears, 90 short-term observers will join to oversee polling, vote counting, and result tabulation, alongside additional short-term observers from the EU’s diplomatic community and partner countries.
The EU EOM members emphasized that their mission will adhere to the European Union’s observation methodology, providing an evidence-based, comprehensive, and impartial evaluation of the electoral process. They plan to release a preliminary report and hold a press conference in Dhaka on February 14, which will be available on the mission’s website and social media.
Upon completing the electoral process, the mission intends to submit a detailed final report with recommendations for improving future elections, to be published on their website. Prof Ali Riaz assured the EU EOM of the government’s full cooperation in facilitating their monitoring activities.