US-based Republican institute delegation meets Bangladesh's Yunus, confirms plan to send election observers for Feb polls

Dhaka [Bangladesh], October 22 (ANI): A delegation from the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI) met with Bangladesh's Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, and confirmed plans to send at least 10 international observers for the country's upcoming national election, scheduled for February 2026.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Yunus stated that the meeting took place at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka, where the visiting delegation discussed the pre-election environment, electoral reforms, and the role of international and domestic observers in ensuring a transparent and peaceful election.

"We will have robust election observation in February," said Christopher J Fussner, Member of the Board of Directors of IRI, who led the delegation.

He stated that the deployment of international observers would help mitigate the risk of violence and foster public confidence in the electoral process.

The IRI team also included Lisa Curtis, Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Centre for a New American Security (CNAS); Jessica Keegan, Technical Expert on Democratic Elections and Political Processes at IRI; Steve Cima, Resident Program Director at IRI; and Jami Spykerman, Program Director at the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

During the meeting, the delegation shared their findings from previous elections and praised the current atmosphere ahead of the upcoming vote. Fussner noted a visible improvement in the political climate compared to past polls, stating, "From our experience of the previous election, we can see a positive atmosphere, which feels really good. We could tell the difference between the previous election and this election," the post stated.

The IRI team emphasised the importance of involving civil society, including student groups, as local observers to enhance transparency and also raised concerns about the spread of misinformation and the emerging threat of artificial intelligence in manipulating public perception during elections.

Yunus acknowledged these concerns and stressed that disinformation is one of the greatest threats to democracy.

"It's well-planned, well-funded and creates tension immediately. By the time the truth comes out, people have already reacted," he said.

He also affirmed that Bangladesh is committed to holding a peaceful, inclusive, and participatory election.

"This is going to be a lifetime experience for so many young people. Half the population of the country is under 27. They will vote for the first time in their life. We want to make sure they are satisfied. We will have a peaceful and festive voting," Yunus stated.

Highlighting the country's democratic progress, the Chief Adviser also emphasised the significance of the July Charter, describing it as a unique milestone. "This puts us another step ahead of the election," he said, noting that most political parties have already signed the charter and expressed hope that others would follow soon.

Earlier in August, the Office of the Chief Adviser wrote to the Election Commission of Bangladesh, requesting that all preparations be completed to hold the National Parliament elections before the start of Ramadan in February 2026, as per a statement from the Chief Adviser's Press Wing. (ANI)

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