The national electoral watchdog, Bangladesh Election Commission, is set to receive $18.53 million in support for its ‘BALLOT Project’ with an eye to strengthening the electoral process ahead of the upcoming general election.
The funding will come through the United Nations, with Australia being the first donor, committing AUD 2 million.
An agreement was signed to this end at the EC headquarters at Agargaon on Wednesday.
Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, Australian High Commissioner Susan Ryle and UNDP Resident Representative Stefan Liller were present at the event.
Talking to the media, EC senior secretary Akhtar Hossain said, “The BALLOT Project will be implemented under the Election Commission with the support of UNDP. The total estimated funding is $18.53 million.”
It will continue until December 31, 2027 and cover 16 key components like capacity building, public awareness, staff training and strengthening the institutional framework, he added.
“We hope more development partners will join in supporting this important initiative,” continued the secretary.
He also recalled UNDP’s earlier support with laptops, scanners and other tools for the voter registration process. “Today’s agreement is a continuation of that cooperation,” he said.
Australian envoy Ryle said, “Australia and Bangladesh are close friends and partners. We are pleased to contribute AUD 2 million to the BALLOT Project, which will promote transparency, participation, and sustainable reform.”
She also mentioned a recent training visit where five officials from Bangladesh’s reform commission visited Australia to learn about voter registration and national ID systems.
UNDP representative Liller shared that the project was developed following a UN needs assessment mission in January.
“We are proud that the Government of Bangladesh approved this project in record time. Australia is the first donor, and we are now discussing with other partners so that this can become one of the best elections in Bangladesh’s history,” he said.
The project will be implemented jointly by UNDP, UN Women and UNESCO in collaboration with the Bangladesh Election Commission.