Dhaka, Feb. 11 -- At least 394 international election observers and 197 foreign journalists have arrived in Bangladesh to observe the country's 13th general election and the referendum on the July National Charter, both scheduled for Thursday.

The Chief Advisor's Office made the announcement in a statement on Wednesday.

Of the international observers, 80 represent various international organisations, 240 come from bilateral countries-including independent European observers-and 51 are individuals affiliated with different global institutions, it said.

The number of international observers for the upcoming polls is more than double that of the controversial general election held on Jan 7, 2024, the CAO said. By comparison, the 12th, 11t...