The United Nations will not send observers for parliamentary elections in Bangladesh to be held on the 12th of next month. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told the media that the UN deploys election observers only with a mandate from the General Assembly or the Security Council. The spokesperson, however, said the UN office in Dhaka may provide technical support if separately approved.

Meanwhile, Transparency International Bangladesh criticised the Election Commission’s plan to extend stay facilities for foreign observers. Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said the move was imprudent, discriminatory, and contradictory. He questioned why domestic observers would not receive similar support. He warned that funding foreign observers could create conflicts of interest. The practice could also undermine credibility and raise doubts about the election’s impartiality.