Dhaka: Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today expressed satisfaction with the way the election campaign is progressing across the country, saying that campaign is being conducted nationwide in an enthusiastic, peaceful, and cordial environment. "Candidates are not using abusive language against one another, nor is there any unruly behavior, which is a very positive change for our political history and culture," he said. The Chief Adviser made the remarks while speaking at the outset of a high-profile meeting on overall preparedness, security personnel deployment, and upcoming challenges ahead of the national polls scheduled for February 12. He presided over the meeting at the State Guest House Jamuna this afternoon. Later, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam briefed the media in front of Jamuna tonight to share the outcomes of the meeting.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, during the meeting, Prof Yunus noted that the preparation phase for the polls has so far been completed very well and said, "We are satisfied. We are very happy." He emphasized that the challenge now is to make the election perfect and expressed optimism that the voting would be festive and safe. The Chief Adviser also hoped that women would vote with joy and that entire families would participate together in the election festival, making this election a memorable event in history.
Shafiqul Alam highlighted that one of the key issues discussed at the meeting was election security, including the deployment of body-worn cameras for law enforcement personnel. Noting that there are about 43,000 polling centers across the country, he stated that 25,700 body-worn cameras are being deployed. A live demonstration of how the cameras work was conducted, with the Chief Adviser directly communicating with personnel wearing body cameras in five locations, including remote areas like Tetulia in Panchagarh and Matiranga in Khagrachhari. These locations were selected randomly and were not pre-arranged, and the demonstration showed that the cameras were functioning properly.
The meeting also focused on the "Election Security App," which is fully activated and will be used exclusively by election officials and security personnel. The app enables rapid intervention and quick control of situations by sending instant alerts to security forces, returning officers, and the Election Commission in the event of any disturbance, violence, or unrest.
Shafiqul Alam described the app as tested and effective, having been successfully used during Durga Puja. The meeting also received updates on the deployment of around 900,000 security personnel for the election, including over 108,000 members of the armed forces and 37,453 members of BGB in 1,210 platoons. Additionally, 3,585 Coast Guard members and a total of 567,866 Ansar members will be deployed across the country, with a sufficient number of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members.
Referring to the EC secretary, Shafiqul Alam said that elections will be held in 299 constituencies on February 12, with the total number of contesting candidates being 2,029. The total number of voters is 127,711,793, with elections to be held at 42,779 polling centers nationwide. Postal ballots for 422,960 overseas voters have already reached Bangladesh, with 270,038 ballots received by returning officers so far.
About foreign observers, around 400 foreign observers and approximately 50,000 domestic observers will monitor the election, with an estimated 120 foreign journalists covering the polls. The meeting decided that through the newly launched hotline-333, people can lodge complaints, raise alerts, or seek any election-related information, with appropriate action to be taken accordingly. About 80 percent of CCTV cameras have already been installed at polling centers, and the installation of body-worn cameras is nearly complete. Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad Majumder and Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad were present at the briefing.