A pre-election assessment mission from the International Republican Institute (IRI) — a US-based Republican-affiliated think tank – met with Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Monday to review the current electoral environment in Bangladesh.
The delegation is led by Christopher J Fussner, an IRI board member, and includes Lisa Curtis, senior fellow and director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). A representative from the National Democratic Institute (NDI) – affiliated with the US Democratic Party – also joined the team.
A foreign ministry official described the meeting as a courtesy call, adding that the delegation is scheduled to hold discussions with political parties, civil society representatives, students, and professionals during their visit.
When asked about the possibility of coming US observers in the upcoming national election, the official said, “They will release a statement after completing their assessment. We expect they will send observers.”
Earlier, a joint IRI–NDI pre-election assessment mission visited Dhaka ahead of the 2024 general election. Following that mission, a smaller observer team was deployed, which later reported that the January 2024 polls were marred by state and political violence, deep polarization, and restrictions on civic and political expression.
