EU pre-election exploratory team meets EC

Staff Reporter :

A European Union (EU) pre-election exploratory mission on Monday held meetings with officials of the Election Commission (EC) in Dhaka, discussing preparations and the overall atmosphere ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election, scheduled for early February 2026.

The eight-member EU delegation, led by senior election expert
Riccardo Celleri, first met EC officials at the Agargaon election headquarters, where the commission was represented by a joint secretary Moin Uddin Khan.

Later, the team held another round of talks with Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah.

However, the visiting EU team did not talk to the journalists to make any comments following the meeting’s outcome.

The EC officials said that the discussions centered on election preparations, the prevailing political situation, and measures being taken to ensure a free and fair election.

The EU team is expected to submit a detailed report to the European Union based on their findings.

That report will determine whether the EU decides to send a full observer mission for the 13th parliamentary polls.

Meanwhile, National Citizen Party (NCP) chief coordinator Nasir Uddin Patwari on the same day claimed that his party could win as many as 150 seats in the upcoming election.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, he expressed doubts about whether the polls would actually take place in February, blaming BNP and Jamaat for delaying the process.

“We have conducted surveys which show that NCP has the potential to win 150 seats.

But we will contest all 300 constituencies and fight for victory everywhere,” he said. When asked about BNP’s prospects, Patwari remarked that the party was in decline, predicting it would struggle to cross 100 seats.

He further revealed that the EC has given a positive signal regarding NCP’s registration and that the party would contest under the Shapla (water lily) symbol-whether white or red.

“We will not move away from Shapla. If there is any attempt to deprive us of this, we know how to respond,” he said.

Addressing doubts over the February timeline, Patwari said, “BNP and Jamaat have yet to resolve the legal complexities surrounding the July Charter.

Because of them, the election is being delayed. We urge them to stop this hypocrisy and let the nation move forward.”

He added that Bangladesh’s political landscape is shifting into three blocs-an Islamic bloc, one led by BNP, and another under NCP’s leadership.

Patwari said many young leaders and activists who once led movements over the past 15 years are now joining NCP, and talks are ongoing about unifying under its banner.

On electoral systems, he clarified NCP’s stance on proportional representation (PR): “We want PR in the upper house, not in the lower house.”

Patwari emphasised that NCP strongly support holding elections q uickly despite speculation, stating, “If anyone wants to swift and fair election, it is NCP because we have not been able to cast our votes for years.”