The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) has deployed 56 long-term observers across all 64 districts of Bangladesh. The observers began their fieldwork on Saturday morning after departing from Dhaka, marking the official start of the mission’s activities. The announcement was made by Deputy Chief Observer Inta Lase at a press conference held at Hotel Intercontinental in Dhaka. The mission operates under an invitation from the Government of Bangladesh, with Chief Observer Ivars Ijabs, a member of the European Parliament, having inaugurated the mission on January 11.

According to EU officials, the observers will work in two-member teams to monitor key aspects of the electoral process at the regional level. They will meet voters, election officials, candidates, political party representatives, civil society observers, and youth activists in both urban and rural areas. The mission includes participants from EU member states as well as Canada, Norway, and Switzerland. Before deployment, the observers received detailed briefings on Bangladesh’s political, legal, and media environment.

The EU EOM will release its preliminary findings on February 14 in Dhaka, followed by a final report with recommendations after the election process concludes. The mission emphasizes neutrality and non-interference, adhering to international election observation principles adopted under UN auspices in 2005.