The February 12 national elections bolstered public trust and signalled reforms in line with the July Charter, European Union Election Observation Mission's (EU EOM) Chief Observer Ivars Ijabs said on Tuesday.
"Although elections bolstered public trust, legal and procedural gaps remain, signalling the need to continue the reform process in line with the July National Charter and beyond," he said while sharing the mission's final report on the elections at a hotel in the capital.
"These credible and competently managed elections marked a pivotal step toward restoring democratic governance and the rule of law, reflecting a shared commitment to democratic processes among all stakeholders," he continued.
The EU EOM Bangladesh presented the report with 19 recommendations, saying the EU stood ready to support Bangladesh in implementing those.
The report is based on a two-month, countrywide observation and offers a detailed analysis and assessment of the entire electoral process.
The mission noted several positive developments, attesting to the resilience of Bangladesh's democracy.
It said the renewed legal framework was largely aligned with the international standards for democratic elections and the Election Commission (EC) worked professionally, demonstrating openness and successfully enfranchising some 770,000 voters living abroad.
The electoral enquiry and adjudication committees were pro-active in upholding the campaign rules, it further said.
The mission also saw a revitalised civic space and took note of important national initiatives to counter disinformation.
However, more efforts to foster accountability and electoral inclusion were needed, it said.
Women candidates were almost absent from these elections, signalling lack of political will to promote women in decision-making positions, said the report.
The inconsistent enforcement of the EC's campaign regulations and limited accountability and oversight in campaign finance laws contributed to an uneven playing field, it said.
Incidents of online violence and harassment alongside inadequate police protection curbed media freedom, and social media platforms appeared ill-prepared to safeguard digital information integrity, it also said.
"Now, it is time to turn the focus to the reform process to strengthen transparency and rule of law, to show political will in promoting women in public and political life, and to foster an environment for a pluralistic and secure public debate, both online and offline," said Ivars Ijabs.
The recommendations include a comprehensive revision of the electoral legal framework, introduction of robust campaign financing rules and oversight, introduction of affirmative action to enhance women's participation in public and political rights, as well as wide-ranging reforms to promote a safe digital environment.
The EU EOM was present in Bangladesh between December 28, 2025 and March 4, 2026, at full strength, comprising 223 international observers from all EU member states, Canada, Norway, and Switzerland.
The observers were deployed to all 64 administrative districts of Bangladesh.
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