Dhaka: Election Commission (EC) Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed announced today that a safe environment is present in the country for the national elections scheduled for February. 'The commission has held detailed discussions with top law enforcement officials to further consolidate this environment. The main objective of the discussions was to ensure security, transparency, and a fair environment for the election,' he stated following a meeting at Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Akhtar Ahmed emphasized that the existing environment is already favorable for elections and that ongoing processes, including recent discussions, aim to reinforce it. On the topic of law enforcement deployment, Ahmed revealed that the initial plan was for a five-day deployment during the election period, but discussions suggested extending this to three days before, on polling day, and four days after the elections, with a final decision pending further review.
Approximately 150,000 police personnel will be deployed, alongside 90,000 to 100,000 army members and about 550,000 to 600,000 members of the Ansar force. These forces are tasked with ensuring security throughout the election period. Ahmed added that law enforcement agencies have already recovered around 85 percent of illegal weapons, with efforts ongoing to recover the remainder before the elections.
Discussing the election security plan, Ahmed detailed discussions covering polling station security, the safety of polling officers, constituency security, control of illegal arms, and the prevention of social media misinformation. The plan also includes ensuring the safety of foreign journalists and observers, managing the postal voting system, and controlling black money and illegal infiltration.
Ahmed mentioned that drone usage will generally be prohibited during election campaigns unless necessary for security by law enforcement agencies. The home secretary confirmed the strengthening of security measures through monitoring, body-worn cameras, and drones, with all forces undergoing training to ensure smooth operations on Election Day.
He concluded by noting that the meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin and attended by various high-ranking officials, was a preparatory step toward a fair and participatory election. An action plan at the administrative level has been prepared for conducting elections at union, upazila, and district levels, ensuring coordination between the Election Commission and law enforcement agencies.