The United Nations (UN) on Thursday held a briefing session for all registered political parties at its Dhaka office, outlining the scope of its technical assistance to the Bangladesh Election Commission (BEC) ahead of the upcoming national parliamentary election.
According to a UN press release issued Thursday, representatives of political parties were given an overview of the key components of the UN’s electoral support, followed by a question-and-answer session.
Through the BALLOT Project, the UN is assisting the Election Commission in strengthening operational capacity, training BEC staff, supporting voter and civic education, supplying essential electoral materials, and promoting greater inclusion and information integrity throughout the electoral process.
The UN noted that all assistance is grounded in its core principles — national sovereignty and ownership, human rights, impartiality, neutrality, and independence.
Launched in May 2025 at the request of the Election Commission, the project has already supported the registration of nearly 8 million new voters, adding to the existing 120 million, including 3.8 million men and more than 4 million women.
The BALLOT Project – led by UNDP, in collaboration with UN Women and UNESCO – was developed in response to a formal request from the BEC on 5 December 2024. Its design followed extensive consultations with national authorities, political parties, civil society, and international partners.
The UN system has been providing electoral assistance to Bangladesh at different intervals since 2008. Under the UN Sustainable Development Framework (2022–2027), UNDP, UN Women, and UNESCO continue to support the country in building more inclusive, gender-responsive, and accountable governance systems, ensuring that all people enjoy their rights, justice, peace, and security.
