The European Union Election Observation Mission has noted “positive enthusiasm” among voters participating in the national parliamentary election.
Chief Observer Ivars Ijabs made the remarks at Dhaka University Curzon Hall on Thursday noon after visiting a polling centre. “Up until noon today, we have seen a great deal of positive enthusiasm and participation from Bangladeshi citizens. Let us hope this continues until the very end of voting this afternoon,” he told reporters.
Ijabs said the mission was receiving regular updates from observers across the country. “We are gathering a large amount of information from our teams nationwide and compiling it to produce a credible observation report,” he said.
Responding to a question about reports of intimidation, he said, “We are receiving various kinds of information, including what is happening inside polling stations. Observing these developments is part of our mandate.”
He expressed hope for participatory and trusted elections, noting that credible polls are important for strengthening future cooperation between the European Union and Bangladesh.
The EU Election Observation Mission has deployed more than 200 observers across the country. They are monitoring the voting process throughout the day and will observe the tabulation and counting of results after polling ends.
The mission is scheduled to release its preliminary assessment report on Saturday.
