US envoy meets CECNo official observer team coming from US: EC Secretary

US Ambassador, Brent Christensen met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Wednesday to discuss the country’s political situation and preparations for the upcoming Bangladesh national parliamentary election and referendum.

A three-member US delegation visited the Election Commission to inquire about the overall election management and showed particular interest in the postal ballot system.

They arrived at the Election Commission building in Agargaon and the meeting began around 12:00pm.

US delegation also included political officer David Mu and Firoz Ahmed. EC's Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed attended the meeting on behalf of the Election Commission.

Speaking to journalists at the Election Commission building, he said that no official observer team from the United States will be visiting Bangladesh for the upcoming election.

However, an independent observer group from the US, along with officials from the US Embassy in Dhaka, will monitor the election situation in Dhaka, Sylhet, Chattogram, and Khulna.

EC secretary said these visitors will not act as formal observers. Instead, they will observe the overall electoral environment and later submit reports to the US Congress and Senate.

The EC secretary explained that the delegation was briefed in detail on how postal ballots would be received, where they would be sent, how they would be counted, and how the counting timeline would align with general ballots and referendum ballots. He noted that their questions largely focused on issues that the Election Commission has already been regularly sharing with the media and the public.

Akhtar Ahmed further said that the commission showed the US representatives sample ballot papers used in training, including their size, shape, and design. After reviewing them, the visitors commented that the entire process appeared complex and demanding and wished the commission “good luck.”