State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Monday welcomed the European Union’s continued engagement in supporting Bangladesh’s democratic journey, including the deployment of its Election Observation Mission.
She said continued cooperation with international partners is important to further strengthen democratic institutions and processes.
She made the remarks during a meeting with Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) Ivars Ijabs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry said the chief observer formally handed over a copy of the final report of the 2026 parliamentary elections.
The chief observer is scheduled to hold a press conference on Tuesday at a city hotel.
On Sunday, he shared the final report with Bangladesh, including recommendations to improve future elections. He also met Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad and presented the mission’s report and recommendations.
Officials told UNB that the final report is based on long-term independent observation of the electoral process across all 64 districts of Bangladesh. The EU EOM also made 19 recommendations aimed at strengthening the integrity of future elections.
The chief observer expressed hope that all relevant stakeholders, including Bangladesh Parliament, will consider the recommendations.
He, along with Head of EU Delegation to Bangladesh Ambassador Michael Miller and the Speaker, also discussed new areas of cooperation between the EU and Bangladesh and EU support for implementing the recommendations.
Ivars Ijabs also held a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Sunday, where key recommendations were discussed.
Officials said the mission’s findings and recommendations aim to improve future electoral processes and uphold Bangladesh’s international commitments. They added that next steps for implementation were also discussed, with the EU expressing readiness to support the process.
The EU EOM has been present in Bangladesh since the end of 2025 and on election day, February 12. It included 223 international observers from all EU member states, as well as Canada, Norway and Switzerland, deployed across all 64 administrative districts.
The mission presented its preliminary statement on the February 12 parliamentary elections on February 14.
The 2026 parliamentary elections were described as “credible and competently managed”, marking a pivotal step towards restoring democratic governance and the rule of law.
The report said the contest was genuinely competitive, with fundamental freedoms broadly respected. It also said the electoral legal framework largely aligns with international standards, while the Bangladesh Election Commission worked independently and transparently, maintaining stakeholder confidence and ensuring integrity of the polls, according to chief observer Ivars Ijabs.
