Election Commission (EC) has called on international election observers, observer organisations and foreign media to apply for monitoring the upcoming national election and referendum scheduled for February 12, 2026.

The deadline for submissions is January 17, 2026, according to a notice issued on Thursday (18 December).

The notice, signed by EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, emphasized the commission’s commitment to conducting free, fair and transparent elections, while keeping the electoral process open to scrutiny.

“In this context, we expect election observers and media across the world to observe the upcoming referendum and 13th parliamentary elections alongside local observers at their convenience,” it stated.

Applications, guidelines and related forms are available on the EC website (www.ecs.gov.bd).

Queries can be addressed to Ruhul Amin Mollik, director of public relations at the EC Secretariat, via email at dirpr@ecs.gov.bd or WhatsApp at +8801715295046.

The schedule for the 13th parliamentary election and the referendum, announced by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on 11 December, sets the nomination paper submission deadline at December 29.

Scrutiny will take place from December 30 to January 4, with the last date for withdrawal on January 20. Election campaigning will run from January 22 until 48 hours before polling begins at 7:30AM on February 10.

So far, several international organisations, including the European Union (EU), have confirmed their participation.

The EC Secretary stated that the EU plans to deploy 175–200 observers, led by EU Parliament member Ivars Ijabs.

This follows a tripartite agreement signed between EC, Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs and EU.

The High Representative and Vice President of European Commission, Kaja Kallas, has appointed Ivars Ijabs as the chief observer for EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) in Bangladesh.

This initiative allows global observers to monitor and verify the transparency and fairness of both the parliamentary elections and the referendum, reflecting country’s ongoing commitment to credible democratic processes.