Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections on February 12 were hailed by the International Republican Institute (IRI) as a major turning point in the nation’s democratic transition.
“Security forces and the Election Commission performed admirably. After years of authoritarian rule, Election Day was mostly peaceful and incident-free. Given the historical context, that is a big step forward for Bangladesh,” said former United States Congressman David Dreier who led the IRI delegation as polls observer in Bangladesh.
IRI deployed a high-level delegation of international observers to Dhaka from February 9 to 13 to assess the conduct of the 2026 parliamentary elections, said an IRI statement here today.
“Given the historical context, that is a big step forward for Bangladesh,” Dreier said.
As Dhaka navigates a challenging political transition after the July 2024 revolt that put an end to more than 15 years of Awami League rule, the IRI team stated in its preliminary conclusions that the polls constituted “an inflection point” for Bangladesh.
“The hard work of governing lies ahead now that the election is over, and the Bangladeshi people’s enthusiasm needs to be translated into action,” Dreier continued.
The delegation noted that although the election was conducted in a technically sound manner, the overall political climate is still precarious.
It encouraged political candidates to resolve disputes through legal channels in the immediate post-election period.
According to the IRI’s preliminary findings, the pre-election period was relatively peaceful compared to previous electoral cycles, although clashes occurred across multiple districts involving rival party supporters.
Voter turnout stood at 59 percent, marking a significant increase from the previous parliamentary election. Many first-time voters, particularly those under 35, participated in the vote.
However, it said, concerns remain regarding the historical undercounting of women on voter rolls.
The Election Commission was commended for substantial logistical preparedness and professional execution of a complex national operation.
Compared to previous election cycles, the Commission’s operational transparency was characterized as a significant improvement.
Reforms that improved openness and legitimacy included a national voter education campaign, the creation of standards for accrediting citizen observers, and the introduction of postal voting for Bangladeshis residing overseas.
At many polling places, a high degree of transparency was guaranteed by the active participation of citizen observers, international monitors, and polling agents from political parties.
The report expressed concern over the significant underrepresentation of women, ethnic and religious minorities among candidates.
According to the research, there was no systematic or pervasive targeting of minority populations on Election Day.
Essential materials were provided, presiding officers were professional, and voting generally started on time on election day.
According to the report, counting and tabulation were characterized as transparent and effective, and polling places typically closed on time.
With police, army troops, Border Guard Bangladesh, Rapid Action Battalion, Ansar, and village defense teams stationed around the country, the poll was held under strict security.
Authorities put in place multilayer security measures after designating thousands of voting places as “high risk.” These actions seemed to stop escalation and contain isolated occurrences.
IRI will continue to keep an eye on the post-election process and provide a thorough final report with in-depth analysis and suggestions, according to the announcement. IRI has led or supported more than 270 election observation missions worldwide.
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