A pre-election assessment mission from the International Republican Institute (IRI) – a US-based Republican-affiliated think tank – will arrive in Dhaka next week to review Bangladesh’s electoral preparations and conduct an independent, impartial assessment ahead of the upcoming 13th national election, expected in February next year.
The delegation will be led by Christopher J Fussner, an IRI board member, and will include Lisa Curtis, senior fellow and director of the Indo-Pacific Security Programme at the Centre for a New American Security (CNAS).
During their visit, they are scheduled to meet senior officials from the Election Commission, members of civil society, and other political stakeholders.
A senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “We welcome any pre-election assessment team that wants to understand the political environment firsthand. We expect many foreign observers to monitor the next election.”
Regarding the IRI mission, the official added, “We are aware of their visit. They will hold meetings with the Election Commission and other relevant groups. Recently, a European Union pre-assessment team visited Dhaka and indicated that they plan to send a large observation mission.”
Fussner and Curtis will be in Dhaka from 20 to 23 October, and their findings are expected to influence the decision on whether to send election observers to Bangladesh.
Earlier, a joint pre-election assessment mission representing both the IRI and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) – affiliated with the US Democratic Party – visited Dhaka ahead of the 2024 general election.
Following their assessment, a smaller observer team was deployed, which later reported that the January 2024 election was undermined by incidents of state and political violence, heightened polarisation, and a shrinking space for civic and political expression.
Profiles of delegates
Christopher J Fussner is an international businessman and philanthropist. Fussner has extensive experience in Asia, where he has lived and worked for 38 years. He contributes to various non-profit organisations and brings deep regional expertise to IRI’s global democracy programmes.
Lisa Curtis is a prominent US foreign policy and national security expert with more than two decades of experience in government service, including positions at the National Security Council (NSC), CIA, US State Department, and Capitol Hill.
