Foreign election observers reported a peaceful and orderly environment during the opening hours of voting on Thursday.
Head of the Commonwealth Election Observer Mission and former President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, visited Viqarunnisa Noon School and College in Dhaka at 7:30am and expressed satisfaction with the situation.
“So far, so good. It’s orderly, it’s peaceful, and the process looks very regular to me. I am satisfied that, at least here, things are going well, and I hope this is the case across the rest of the country,” he told reporters.
Noting that it was the first polling centre he visited, Akufo-Addo said the calm environment was encouraging.
“It is important that the people of Bangladesh use this occasion to express their views about the future and vote,” he said, urging voters to participate so they can have a say in shaping the country’s future.
“That is what democracy is about, and we hope today will be a good demonstration of democratic values in Bangladesh.”
Meanwhile, Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission, Ivars Ijabs, described the day as significant for Bangladesh’s democracy. He made the remarks after visiting the Siddheswari Girls’ College polling centre in the morning.
“We are all looking forward to participatory, credible, and trusted elections here in Bangladesh at this historic moment,” he said.
Commenting on preparations, Ijabs noted that the polling station opened on time. “We will continue observing the proceedings not only here but across the country — in cities as well as in villages and rural areas,” he added.
The EU Election Observation Mission has deployed more than 200 observers nationwide. They will monitor voting throughout the day and observe the tabulation and counting of results after polling concludes.
