Dhaka, Feb. 9 -- More than 500 foreign observers and journalists are set to visit Bangladesh to monitor and cover the upcoming referendum and national parliamentary election, officials said.

A total of 540 foreign nationals will arrive in the country, including around 60 representatives from foreign election commissions and election-related institutions invited by the Bangladesh Election Commission (EC), about 330 international observers from global organisations, and nearly 150 foreign journalists from 45 international media outlets.

Among the EC-invited guests are the chief election commissioners of Bhutan and Nigeria, the chairman of Malaysia's Election Commission, and the standing committee chairman of the International Conference o...