The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday issued a notice inviting applications from private local organisations seeking registration as election observers.
According to the notice signed by Md Shariful Alam, director (public relations) of the EC Secretariat, applications must be submitted in the prescribed format by 5:00pm on August 10, addressed to the senior secretary of the EC Secretariat.
The call for applications followed the issuance of the Election Observation Policy 2025 on July 17, under which the registration of 96 observer organisations -- previously enlisted for the January 7 2024 national election -- was cancelled.
As per the new policy, organisations registered under a Bangladeshi law and actively engaged in promoting democracy, good governance, and human rights are encouraged to apply.
The notice stated that registered organisations will be authorised to observe various electoral events, including national parliamentary and local government elections, for a five-year term.
Interested organisations must fill out Form EO-1 and submit it to the EC Secretariat's Senior Secretary by the deadline. The form is available at the EC's public relations office (Room 105) and on its official website (www.ecs.gov.bd).
To be eligible, an applicant organisation must have a constitution that includes a clear commitment to raising public awareness about free and fair elections.
Organisations will be disqualified if their chief executive or any board member is directly involved with a political party or intends to contest an election during the application period. A sworn affidavit declaring non-affiliation with any political party must be submitted with the application.
Furthermore, if the applicant's name is identical or similar to a national, international, or regional organisation in a way that could cause public confusion, the EC will deem the application ineligible.
In such cases, a no-objection certificate from the concerned entity must be provided.
