The Election Commission (EC) hopes that observers from different countries will arrive to oversee polls even though the European Union (EU) said they will refrain from sending its observers to monitor the elections for what it says a lengthy process.
To this end, the Election Commission (EC) is scheduled to sit in a high-level meeting on Sunday to discuss security, visa processing and accommodation of foreign observers and journalists, as per a UNB report.
Joint Secretary (PR) of the Election Commission office SM Asaduzzaman said the meeting will be held at Agargaon Nirbachan Bhaban with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda in the chair.
Officials from Home, Foreign Affairs Ministries as well as senior officials concerned of the Department of Immigration and Passport will attend the meeting, he said.
On Monday, Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Alam met the CEC to discuss issues relating to the meeting.
Sources at the EC office said though the European Union sent a large number of election observers in the 2008 and 2001 elections they did not send observers for the January 5 election in 2014 due to pre-election violence across the country.
The high-level meeting will also discuss how to complete necessary formalities if foreign observers want to monitor the election.
Sources at the Election Commission said a total of 8,874 observers from 35 local organisations and only four foreign observers came to Bangladesh to monitor in the 10th parliamentary elections held on January 5, 2014, while some 159,000 local observers and 593 foreign observers monitored the 2008 national election,218,000 local observers and 225 foreign observers watched the 2001 general election, 40,000 local observers and 265 foreign observers monitored the 1996 (7th) national election and 30,000 local observers and 59 foreign observers monitored the 1991 national parliamentary elections.
Meanwhile, the Commission held meeting with 118 local observer organisations registered with the Election Commission last Tuesday. EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed instructed them on their duties during the election.
Earlier, the Election Commission invited applications from both local and foreign observers to watch the upcoming national election.
Foreign observers were suggested to apply through the Foreign Ministry as the EC has a plan to complete their appointment process by the first week of December.