Bangladesh on track for ‘peaceful, inclusive’ polls: Prof Yunus tells IRI

Head of the IRI delegation head Christopher J. Fussner, Member of its Board of Directors with Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday 21 October 2025.

Dhaka, Oct 21 – Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday conveyed to the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI) that Bangladesh is on track for a ‘peaceful and inclusive’ election, noting that this is going to be a lifetime experience for so many young people.

“Half the population of the country is under 27. They will vote for the first time in their life. We want to make sure they are satisfied. We will have a peaceful and festive voting,” said the Chief Adviser when a delegation from the IRI met him at the state guest house Jamuna.

The delegation confirmed that the IRI will send at least 10 international observers for Bangladesh’s national election in February.

"We will have robust election observation in February," said delegation head Christopher J. Fussner, Member of the Board of Directors of IRI.

He said deployment of election observers would help mitigate chances of violence during the vote.

Lisa Curtis, Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS); Jessica Keegan, Technical Expert on Democratic Elections and Political Processes at IRI; Steve Cima, Resident Program Director at IRI; and Jami Spykerman, Program Director at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) were present at the meeting.

SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Morshed was also present.

The team is currently visiting Bangladesh to assess the pre-election environment and is scheduled to meet with all major political parties.

During the meeting, the delegation shared insights from their previous election observations and exchanged views with the Chief Adviser on electoral reforms.

They expressed optimism about the current political atmosphere, said the Chief Adviser’s press wing.

Fussner praised the prevailing atmosphere for the general election in Bangladesh.

"All parties want an election. From our experience of the previous election, we can see a positive atmosphere, which feels really good. We could tell the difference between the previous election and this election,” Fussner said.

The delegation said it is important to include local observers from civil society, such as student groups, to make the election more transparent. They also talked about the dangers of false information during elections.

The Chief Adviser said disinformation is a serious problem. “The biggest threat to democracy today is disinformation. It’s well-planned, well-funded and creates tension immediately. By the time the truth comes out, people have already reacted,” he said.

Christopher J. Fussner also raised concerns about the use of artificial intelligence to fabricate images and manipulate public opinion.

Prof Yunus underscored the significance of the July Charter as a unique milestone for the country's democratic journey, noting that all political parties have shown their commitment to reform.

“This puts us another step ahead of the election,” he said, adding that most parties have signed the charter and hoped that others would do very soon.

The IRI delegates lauded the leadership of Prof Yunus over the last 15 months.

"You are doing a great job during the transition," one delegate said.

"Everything you have done is absolutely remarkable," said another delegate.

The IRI, a non-profit, non-partisan organisation dedicated to advancing democracy and freedom globally, is now assessing the electoral environment in advance of the February 2026 parliamentary elections.

The IRI team deployed its pre-election assessment mission to Bangladesh from October 20 and they will continue to engage until October 23.

This high-level mission, comprising international policy and elections experts, arrived in Dhaka on October 20 to meet with a broad range of stakeholders, including the Bangladesh Election Commission, political parties, government officials, and civil society organisations from across the Bangladeshi political spectrum and examine issues central to electoral competitiveness and civic engagement.

“This mission underscores IRI’s commitment to supporting democratic processes in Bangladesh,” said Johanna Kao, IRI’s Senior Director for Asia-Pacific in a statement.

“We look forward to engaging with stakeholders and assessing the state of the electoral environment.”

Following the conclusion of the mission, IRI will release a statement offering an impartial assessment of the readiness for February’s elections and recommendations for maintaining electoral integrity and fostering a peaceful electoral environment.

Since 1984, IRI has organized over 250 international election observation missions worldwide, earning a reputation for objectivity and professionalism.

The mission will conduct its activities in accordance with the laws of Bangladesh and the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and the Code of Conduct adopted by the United Nations in 2005.

All activities will be conducted on a strictly non-partisan basis and without interfering in the electoral process.

The IRI team met Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Monday afternoon at his office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. - UNB