Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The European Union (EU) will deploy a large election observation mission to Bangladesh for the country&rsquo;s upcoming national election and referendum, the head of the mission Ivars Ijabs told the Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus,&nbsp;state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported on Sunday. The Chief Adviser&rsquo;s press secretary said EU election observation mission emphasized support for a &ldquo;Yes&rdquo; vote in the referendum, calling it crucial for enabling the implementation of essential reform agendas. Ijabs also informed the Chief Adviser that EU observers will be deployed across the country, monitor all regions and hold meetings with major political parties and other stakeholders as part of their mandate, BSS reported. Chief Adviser Yunus assured the EU that the election and referendum would be conducted smoothly and would be free, fair, credible, peaceful and festive. He said the Election Commission and the interim government are fully prepared to ensure the smooth conduct of both processes, adding that a level playing field will be ensured for all political parties and that he does not anticipate major difficulties. &#39;Extremely important&#39; Yunus thanked the EU for sending the observation mission, describing it as &ldquo;extremely important&rdquo; for holding a credible election and supporting Bangladesh&rsquo;s democratic transition, BSS reported. He said security forces will use body-worn cameras at vulnerable polling centers to monitor potential disturbances or deterioration in law and order. The system will be connected centrally through a mobile application, allowing monitoring at upazila, district, division, and Dhaka levels. In addition, all polling centers will be equipped with closed-circuit television cameras to enable rapid identification of troublemakers, he said. The military will remain deployed as a rapid-response striking force to intervene immediately if required. Awareness-building campaigns On the referendum, Yunus said the interim government is conducting and will continue awareness-building campaigns in favor of a &ldquo;Yes&rdquo; vote.&nbsp; He said legal opinions were sought on the issue and that top legal experts have provided written confirmation that the interim government is legally permitted to seek public support for the referendum, with no legal barriers. Although the formal election campaign is set to begin on January 22, Yunus said an election wave is already visible across the country. He identified misinformation and disinformation on social media as a major challenge, warning that elements linked to the fallen autocratic regime may attempt to disrupt the process. However, he said security forces are fully prepared to address any such threats. Yunus also noted strong enthusiasm among women and young voters and expressed optimism that voter turnout in the upcoming election would be very high.

Bangladesh

The European bloc will deploy a large election observation mission to Bangladesh for the country’s upcoming national election and referendum.

EU to deploy large election observation mission to Bangladesh: State media

Web Desk/AFP

The Muslim-majority nation of 170 million people will hold its first elections since the uprising on February 12; European Union election observers say the election will be the 'biggest democratic process of 2026, anywhere'.

Bangladesh's political crossroads: an election guide

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ISLAMABAD: Social media use in Bangladesh is set to hit a new high in early 2026, with about 64 million active social media user identities recorded in late 2025, according to the DataReportal report. United Nations population data cited in the report put Bangladesh&rsquo;s population at 176 million in October 2025, with a median age of 26. Bangladesh had 186 million cellular mobile connections in late 2025, equal to 105% of the population, according to DataReportal&rsquo;s roundup of GSMA Intelligence figures. The report said 82.8 million people used the internet at the end of 2025, placing online penetration at 47.0%. The report said social media user identities equal 36.3% of the total population and more than 77% of Bangladesh&rsquo;s internet users, highlighting how social platforms have become a primary channel for information. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Big platforms, bigger reach <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Facebook remains the country&rsquo;s largest social platform, with 64 million users and reach of nearly 55% of adults, the report said. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TikTok is the fastest-growing major platform, reaching 56.2 million adults, according to the report.&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" id="isPasted">Professional platforms have also expanded. LinkedIn rose to 12 million members in late 2025, while Instagram reached 9.15 million users, the report said. Other platforms such as Messenger reached about 35.0 million users, while Reddit, X, and Threads each accounted for less than 1% of the total population. AI, social media abuse DataReportal said social media user identities in Bangladesh increased by 8.5 million, or 15.3%, between late 2024 and late 2025. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With national elections expected in February, the Election Commission of Bangladesh is working to design an effective strategy to curb the abuse of artificial intelligence and social media ahead of the February 2026 national elections, New Age reported.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The commission, headed by AMM Nasir Uddin, views misinformation and disinformation on social media as a major challenge to maintaining a congenial electoral environment during the 13th parliamentary election. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Election officials have expressed concern that AI-generated deepfakes and false content could be harder to detect and may disrupt campaigns, prompting the commission to consider regulatory and technical measures to address the threat, New Age reported.

In the south Asian nation, social media use is set to hit a critical peak in early 2026, with about 64 million active user identities recorded in October 2025, a level equivalent to 36.3% of the country’s population, according to a DataReportal report.

Articles tagged with "Bangladesh elections"

EU to deploy large election observation mission to Bangladesh: State media

Bangladesh's political crossroads: an election guide

Social media use in Bangladesh surges ahead of February elections

EU to deploy large election observation mission to Bangladesh: State media