Dhaka, April 13 -- The Election Commission (EC) is planning to set the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) or equivalent credentials as the minimum educational qualification for domestic election observers ahead of the 13th parliamentary polls.

A new policy framework to replace the existing 2023 guidelines for observers is in the works, though the format will remain largely the same, reports bdnews24.com.

Currently, 96 observer organisations are registered with the EC. Under the new policy, their registrations will be automatically cancelled, and interested organisations will need to reapply in line with the updated criteria.

In the last parliamentary election in 2024, over 20,000 observers were deployed. According to existing rules, an...