Dhaka: Home Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury announced today that the government is making necessary preparations to conduct the upcoming general election in a free, fair, and peaceful manner. “Tentative date for the next elections has already been announced while the Election Commission will declare the specific date. All want a peaceful election. We’re making all possible strides to hold the next election in a free, fair, peaceful, and festive manner,” he stated after visiting a polling center at Teghoria High School, part of the Dhaka-3 constituency in Keraniganj.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Jahangir emphasized that field-level preparations are underway to ensure fairness in the electoral process. He noted the critical role of cooperation from all stakeholders, including aspirant candidates, the public, the election commission, and the administration, in achieving a peaceful and fair election.
The Home Adviser commented on the current law and order situation, noting improvements since July last year when police officers abandoned stations and Ansar lodged protests. While acknowledging that the desired level of law and order has not yet been reached, he expressed confidence that there is sufficient time to achieve this target before the election. He assured that the deployment of 80,000 military troops and the use of body-worn cameras at polling centers would aid in monitoring and maintaining fairness during the elections.
Jahangir highlighted that Bangladesh Police currently have 10,000 body-worn cameras, and the Border Guard Bangladesh also possesses such equipment. The government plans to purchase an additional 40,000 body-worn cameras to enhance monitoring capabilities for the upcoming elections.
Addressing the issue of illegal firearms, Jahangir mentioned that a nationwide operation is ongoing to recover these weapons. The government plans to offer rewards for information leading to the recovery of illegal firearms. During his visit, the Home Adviser also inspected the Dhaka Central Jail, RAB-10 Headquarters, and Keraniganj Model Police Station to assess the conditions and operations in these facilities.