If all goes according to plan, the 13th National Parliament elections will be held in the first week of February next year. While the Election Commission (EC) and relevant government agencies are busy with preparations, political parties are intensifying their campaigns and promises to voters.
Alongside domestic efforts, foreign missions and observer organizations in Dhaka have also ramped up their activities ahead of the polls. They are holding regular meetings with the EC, political parties, civil society representatives, and other government bodies. Officials say foreign missions are closely monitoring developments to ensure the elections are fair, impartial, and participatory.
Chargé d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Tracey Ann Jacobson, has met with leaders of the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party (NCP), as well as with Professor Ali Riaz, Vice-Chairman of the National Consensus Commission and Head of the Constitutional Reform Commission.
In the second week of July, Tracey met BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in London to discuss the party’s position on the electoral framework and government formation process. After returning to Dhaka on July 22, she met Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman at the party’s central office in Moghbazar to discuss the ongoing reform process and election preparations.
On Monday, NCP leaders led by Convener Nahid Islam met with the U.S. envoy at her Gulshan residence. Discussions covered the political and law-and-order situation, upcoming elections, post-uprising reforms, and matters of Bangladesh–U.S. interest. The following day, Professor Ali Riaz visited the U.S. envoy to discuss progress in political dialogues, preparations for state reforms, the national charter, and future plans.
The European Union (EU) will also send a seven-member pre-election observer team to Dhaka in mid-September, including three foreign and four local observers. EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed confirmed the visit on August 4. Earlier on March 16, EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, pledging EU assistance in holding elections of international standard.
Diplomatic engagement has extended beyond the U.S. and EU. Canadian High Commissioner Ajit Singh and Australian High Commissioner Susan Riley met the CEC, with Canada pledging support to prevent misuse of artificial intelligence in elections and Australia providing $2 million for a ballot project.
International observer groups are also getting involved. Canada-based The Opposition International and the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) have held separate meetings with the CEC. ANFREL announced it would appoint an international observer group for the polls, while the Opposition International pledged to assist in registering expatriate voters to ensure their voting rights.
Observers note that such diplomatic activity is common in the lead-up to elections in Bangladesh, though the last three parliamentary polls saw relatively muted foreign engagement.
Former ambassador M. Humayun Kabir told Bangladesh Pratidin on Wednesday, “The foreign missions in Dhaka are our partners. It is natural for them to expect fair elections, democratic progress, and a stable environment. In that light, diplomats often become active before elections and consider whether they can play a role in ensuring a free and credible vote. We also want foreigners to observe our elections.”
Translated by Afsar Munna
