The Election Commission (EC) has affirmed that a safe and conducive environment exists for Bangladesh’s upcoming national elections in February, Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said on Monday.
Addressing reporters after a high-level meeting with law enforcement officials at Nirbachan Bhaban, Agargaon, he said the discussion focused on security, transparency, and fairness during the electoral process.
The planned deployment includes around 150,000 police personnel, 90,000–100,000 army members, and 550,000–600,000 Ansar personnel to secure polling stations and constituencies. Law enforcement agencies have recovered about 85% of illegal weapons, with remaining recovery efforts ongoing.
The meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, covered polling station security, constituency safety, illegal arms control, social media monitoring, election transport, postal voting, and protection of foreign observers. Drone usage will generally be prohibited for campaigns, though security agencies may use them as needed.
Akhtar Ahmed emphasized that all forces are fully prepared and coordinating to ensure a free, fair, and participatory election, with detailed action plans prepared at union, upazila, and district levels.
