DHAKA, Sept 22, 2025 (BSS) - An eight-member European Union (EU) Exploratory Mission today met with Election Commission (EC) officials to discuss sending an observation team to Bangladesh for the upcoming 13th parliamentary elections.

They held a meeting with four EC officials, led by Md. Moin Uddin Khan, Joint Secretary of the EC Secretariat, in the EC meeting room from 3 pm to 4 pm.

Later, they held a meeting with Election Commissioner Brigadier General Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah (retd) from 4 pm to 5 pm.

Senior election expert Riccardo Chellery led the EU delegation.

EC officials who attended the meeting said that the EU election team mainly wanted to know about the law and order situation, the election environment, the EC's preparedness and capacity, and whether the EC is working impartially. They are mainly giving more importance to the issue of security, they said.

They will meet with election officials in Rangpur and Chattogram to learn about the situation at the field level. They will analyze the overall situation impartially and report to their headquarters.

However, EC officials expressed hope that they will send an observation mission to Bangladesh after scrutinizing the overall situation.

EC officials said that the EU Exploratory Mission is mainly discussing the upcoming 13th National Parliament elections with various government and private stakeholders.

Later, based on the recommendations of the mission, the EU will consider sending a possible observation team to Bangladesh during the election period, in accordance with the procedures set by the European Union.

Earlier on Thursday, EC Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said a delegation from the European Union would visit the EC office on September 22 to meet with an Election Commissioner.