Dhaka: The government has launched an extensive security and operational preparation plan ahead of the upcoming general election, with Home Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury affirming the administration's commitment to delivering a free, fair, and peaceful national poll. Speaking after multiple high-level meetings at the Home Ministry this week, the adviser said the government is 'trying its best to deliver a good election to the nation,' stressing that cooperation from the media and all stakeholders will be crucial. He reiterated that there would be 'no problem' in holding the election, scheduled for February, if all agencies worked in coordination.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, as part of a comprehensive security strategy, the government will deploy around nine lakh personnel from the police, Ansar, army, and other enforcement bodies to maintain law and order throughout the election period. All agencies will also arrange election-specific training for their members to ensure that duties are carried out impartially and professionally.
In an effort to ensure transparency, the Home Ministry has decided to equip each of the risky polling centres with a body-worn camera. The senior-most police officer at each centre will operate the device. Additionally, to prevent partisan influence and ensure neutrality, Superintendents of Police (SPs) for all the 64 districts have been transferred through a lottery system, and officers-in-charge (OCs) will also be transferred following the process, conducted in front of media representatives. All the Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) have also been transferred through the lottery system. Once the election schedule is announced, the Election Commission will assume full authority over postings and transfers.
The Home Adviser indicated that officials who served in the last three general elections may be excluded from duty this time to reinforce neutrality. Discussions are underway regarding deployment needs, logistical support, and coordination among key district- and upazila-level administrators, including DCs, UNOs, SPs, and OCs. The steps taken reflect the chief adviser's directives and the government's commitment to ensuring a credible national election.
Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has instructed police officers to maintain a distance from politicians during the upcoming national elections. Speaking at the inauguration of an election-duty training programme at Rajarbagh Police Lines, he emphasized integrity, patience, and zero tolerance for extortion and drug-related activities. Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) has shared a deployment outline with law enforcement agencies for the election expected in early February 2026.
The Home Affairs Adviser announced a special nine-day security plan to be enforced, which includes five days before, one day during, and three days after the vote. Security deployment is expected to include nearly 100,000 army personnel, 35,000 BGB members, 5,000 from the Navy, 4,000 from the Coast Guard, and around 8,000 from RAB. Ansar will play a major role, with about 550,000 personnel equipped with weapons and body cameras.
Assuring stability, he said the election will be held peacefully and credited recent political changes to public participation rather than individual actions. Asked about allegations of vote rigging by police, he said the government will strive to ensure a fair election with the media's cooperation. The Home Adviser mentioned that electoral training of the law enforcers such as police, Ansar and VDP, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and military personnel are scheduled to conclude by January.
According to BGB, a total of 1,210 platoons of the force will be deployed nationwide for election duties. BGB personnel will be on duty in all upazilas except Sandwip, Hatia, and Kutubdia, and will operate independently in 60 out of 115 border upazilas. The election training for BGB personnel began on August 24, 2025, and will continue in four phases until January 22, 2026.