No formal US embassy observers for polls: EC
Staff Reporter :
The Election Commission (EC) has clarified that no formal election observers from the US Embassy will be deployed to monitor Bangladesh’s upcoming national election.
EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said on Wednesday that an independent delegation from the United States, alongside officials from the US Embassy, will visit polling areas to assess the voting environment, but they will not act as “formal observers” accredited by the commission.
He made the remarks following a meeting with US Embassy representatives at the EC building.
“The US Embassy informed us that they will independently observe the election situation in four regionsDhaka, Sylhet, Chattogram and Khulna. We have no objection to this,” Akhtar Ahmed told reporters.
“They also said they would share a list of the areas they intend to visit, and once we receive it, we will facilitate their movement accordingly.” On restrictions on movement on election day, the EC secretary said the delegation sought clarification and was informed that the Ministry of Home Affairs would take the final decision on the duration and scope of any transport curbs.
He said US representatives were also briefed on ballot paper design and the training of field-level election officials. According to Akhtar Ahmed, the delegation described the overall process as complex and demanding but expressed satisfaction after reviewing the management arrangements.
When asked whether the US side raised concerns about violations of the electoral code of conduct, he said no such complaints were made. “Instead, they were interested in our management system and how complaints are handled,” he added.
The EC, he said, explained its complaint management cell, inquiry committees and the role of judicial magistrates at the field level. “Even today, we received a complaint from a district and immediately forwarded it to the returning officer for quick resolution,” he noted.
Regarding security, Akhtar Ahmed said around 950,000 personnel will be deployed across the country at various levels to ensure a secure and orderly election.