Dhaka: The government has announced a comprehensive security and operational plan in preparation for the upcoming general election. Home Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury emphasized the government's dedication to ensuring a free, fair, and peaceful national election.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the adviser stated that the government is committed to delivering a successful election, emphasizing the importance of media collaboration and stakeholder involvement. He assured that there would be no issues in conducting the election, slated for February, provided all agencies work in tandem.
As part of the extensive security measures, approximately nine lakh personnel from police, Ansar, army, and other law enforcement agencies will be deployed to maintain order throughout the election period. These agencies will also provide specialized training for their members to ensure impartial and professional conduct during the election.
To enhance transparency, the Home Ministry plans to equip each risky polling center with body-worn cameras, operated by the senior-most police officer at each location. In addition, a lottery system has been used to transfer Superintendents of Police (SPs) across all 64 districts to prevent partisan influence and ensure neutrality. Officers-in-charge (OCs) and Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) have also been transferred through this process, conducted under media scrutiny.
Further measures include potentially excluding officials who served in the last three general elections from duty to reinforce neutrality. Discussions are ongoing regarding deployment needs and coordination among key district and upazila-level administrators.
Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has instructed police officers to maintain a professional distance from politicians during the elections. He underscored the importance of integrity, patience, and zero tolerance for extortion and drug-related activities at the inauguration of an election-duty training program.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) has outlined a deployment plan with law enforcement agencies for the election, anticipated in early February 2026. EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed mentioned that forces will finalize deployment plans, which include static, mobile, and reserve components, along with cyber security monitoring through NTMC. The magistracy power of armed forces will be effective until February 2026.
A special nine-day security plan will be implemented, comprising five days before, one day during, and three days after the vote. The deployment will involve 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 significant role with approximately 550,000 personnel equipped with weapons and body cameras.
The Home Adviser assured that the election would be conducted peacefully and attributed recent political changes to public participation rather than individual actions. Addressing allegations of vote rigging, he highlighted the government's efforts to ensure a fair election with media cooperation.
Electoral training for law enforcement personnel is scheduled to conclude by January. BGB plans to deploy 1,210 platoons nationwide for election duties, operating independently in 60 out of 115 border upazilas. Training for BGB personnel began on August 24, 2025, and will continue in four phases until January 22, 2026.