The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has finalized the registration of 81 domestic election observer organizations ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. The announcement was made on December 8 by the EC’s public relations division, confirming that the registration process was completed in two phases following a review of applications and objections.

Initially, 73 local organizations were shortlisted in September, after which the EC invited public objections until October 20. Following the resolution of claims, 66 organizations were approved in the first phase, with registration valid from November 6, 2024, to November 5, 2030. Another 15 organizations received approval in the second phase, valid from December 4, 2024, to December 3, 2030.

The EC also noted that the registrations of 96 observer groups from the 12th parliamentary election were automatically canceled under the new Election Observation Policy 2025. Since the introduction of observer registration in 2008, the number of approved organizations has fluctuated, reflecting evolving oversight measures and transparency efforts in Bangladesh’s electoral process.