DHAKA, Jan 11, 2026 (BSS)- EU election observer chief Ivars Ijabs today said that it would be important for Bangladesh to conduct the upcoming election in a peaceful, credible and transparent manner.

“This historic election will be crucial to bolster democratic institutions through the ballot box. Hence it will be important that the polls are conducted peacefully and in a credible and transparent manner,” he said at a media briefing here today.

He hoped that the EU observer team’s work here will also contribute to public confidence and trust in the electoral process.

In response to an invitation by the authorities of Bangladesh, the European Union has deployed an Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) for the parliamentary elections scheduled for 12 February 2026. 

The mission, led by Ijabs, a member of the European Parliament from Latvia, began its activities in late December 2025 and is scaling up with the arrival of 56 long-term observers.

The long-term observers will be deployed across all 64 districts of Bangladesh, marking the first fully-fledged EU election observation mission in the country since 2008.

The Chief Observer said the mission would engage with election administration, political parties, judiciary, civil society and media to observe and analyse key aspects of the electoral process, including election preparations, the legal framework and its implementation, campaign conduct and electoral dispute resolution.

He said the EU EOM would also assess the overall space for political and civic participation, including for women, youth and other vulnerable groups. 

Dedicated media and social media monitoring units will evaluate the extent to which voters are able to make well-informed choices.

“Our technical assessment of these elections is guided by three core principles: independence, impartiality and non-interference. We will employ a robust, well-established methodology of long-term, nation-wide observation. We will observe the process but will not certify the results. These elections belong solely to the people of Bangladesh,” Ijabs said.

Resounding to a question, he said, the EU believes that Bangladesh is capable to hold a participatory, credible and fair election. 

At full strength, the mission will comprise around 200 observers from all 27 EU Member States, as well as Canada, Norway and Switzerland. 

This includes a core team of 11 analysts based in Dhaka, 56 long-term observers, 90 short-term observers to be deployed shortly before the polling day, and observers from the diplomatic missions of EU Member States and partner countries. A delegation from the European Parliament will further reinforce the mission.

The EU EOM will issue a preliminary statement and hold a press conference in Dhaka on February 14, two days after the polls. A comprehensive final report, including recommendations for future elections, will be published and presented to the authorities around two months later.

All EU EOM observers are bound by a strict code of conduct, and the mission operates in line with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation endorsed under UN auspices in 2005, Ijabs said.