Former President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has been appointed to head a 14-member Commonwealth Observer Group for Bangladesh’s forthcoming parliamentary elections and a nationwide referendum scheduled for February 12, 2026.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, announced in London that the mission follows a formal invitation from the Bangladesh Election Commission. The team will observe the country’s 13th parliamentary elections, which will be held alongside a referendum on the July Charter — a post-uprising reform framework proposing major political and constitutional changes.

Describing the deployment as timely and significant, Botchwey said the mission underscores the Commonwealth’s commitment to credible, transparent and inclusive electoral processes. She noted that the group’s role extends beyond routine observation, emphasizing its responsibility to support the democratic aspirations of the Bangladeshi people and to act independently and impartially in ensuring that the popular will is freely expressed.

Akufo-Addo will chair the Observer Group, which comprises election specialists and professionals drawn from across the Commonwealth, including experts in law, politics, media, gender advocacy and election administration. The mission will be supported by a Secretariat team led by Linford Andrews of the Commonwealth’s Electoral Support Section.

The group’s mandate is to assess the entire electoral process and determine whether the elections and referendum meet international standards of credibility, transparency and inclusiveness, in line with Bangladesh’s legal and constitutional framework. At the end of the mission, a comprehensive report with findings and recommendations will be submitted to the Commonwealth Secretary-General and shared with the Government of Bangladesh, the Election Commission, political parties, Commonwealth member states and the public.

Members of the Observer Group come from Antigua and Barbuda, Canada, Fiji, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mauritius, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda, the United Kingdom and Zambia, bringing together former ministers, electoral commissioners, legal scholars, civil society leaders and media experts for the high-profile democratic exercise.