United News of Bangladesh

European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) Deputy Chief Observer Inta Lase on Saturday (January 17, 2026) said it is very important to see the whole picture of electoral process holistically to present their report impartially, stressing that this is a historic moment for Bangladesh. "Let us observe and let us wait until a holistic assessment is done," she told reporters at a city hotel, noting that they all know there is no perfect election anywhere in the world. Lase said their assessment and report with recommendations in the spirit of friendship and cooperation will help improve the future electoral process in the country. She said their observers are very experienced though many of them are coming to Bangladesh for the first time. EU to allocate €60B military, €30B economic aid to Ukraine Addressing the observers, Lase said, "You are the ones who are in the field, seeing the realities, telling us here in Dhaka how the situation is unfolding in each and every district. We are really looking forward to your report and assessment from the field." She said she knows observers' hours on the ground will be longer but it will be rewarding. "Trust me, we are all very privileged to hear from you and see this historical election," Lase said. 200 Observers Altogether At full strength the EU EOM will comprise 200 observers drawn from all 27 EU member states, Canada, Norway and Switzerland. The EU EOM will present its preliminary findings in a statement at a press conference on 14 February in Dhaka.