STAFF CORRESPONDENT

The European Union Election Observation Mission yesterday termed Bangladesh’s 2026 parliamentary elections “credible and competently managed”, but made 19 recommendations to strengthen transparency, credibility, and integrity of future polls.

Presenting the mission’s final report at a city hotel, Chief Observer Ivars Ijabs said the February 12 polls marked “a pivotal step” towards restoring democratic governance and the rule of law.

“For the first time since 2008, elections were genuinely competitive, with fundamental freedoms broadly respected,” he said.

The mission, however, said sporadic localised political violence and “persistent fear of mob attacks”, often triggered by manipulated online narratives, harmed the democratic process. It said limited political space for women undermined their equal participation.

Of the 19, six were priority recommendations.

They call for revising the legal framework for parliamentary elections, ensuring transparent vote tabulation at upazila and district levels, and amending the Representation of the People Order to ensure strict It said

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