Dhaka: Home Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury today called upon law enforcement agencies to maintain heightened vigilance to prevent violence or disturbances during the ongoing election campaign. ‘Law enforcement agencies have been instructed to ensure that no clashes or unwanted incidents occur among political parties and candidates during this (campaign) period,’ he stated after a ‘law and order core committee’ meeting at the ministry.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Chowdhury emphasized that law enforcement personnel should disregard illegal orders from vested interests or partisan perspectives, including unlawful directives from higher authorities. The campaign for the upcoming 13th parliamentary election, as per the Election Commission schedule, began on January 22 and will continue until 7:30 am on February 10, 2026, with voting scheduled for February 12, coinciding with a referendum.
Chowdhury underscored that maintaining law and order through maximum security measures is the government’s top priority, and he called for the cooperation of political parties to ensure peace and order. A law and order coordination cell has been established at the home ministry specifically for the national election and referendum in 2026.
‘We want to present the nation a neutral and festive election that will be a role model in Bangladesh’s electoral history,’ he noted, highlighting the home ministry’s coordinated efforts to achieve this goal. Additionally, the ministry released emergency contact numbers for lodging law and order complaints during the election period.
Officials at the meeting reviewed the overall law and order situation, the progress of Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2, recovery of illegal and looted weapons, anti-drug operations, and measures to prevent violence and maintain order during the election campaign. The press briefing was attended by senior officials, including the home ministry’s senior secretary Nasimul Ghani and police inspector general (IGP) Baharul Alam.