Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday said a fair and credible election is possible under the prevailing situation and with the preparations currently in place, stressing the need for remaining ready for everything.
He said all those who are contesting the election are maintaining a positive attitude and maintaining mutual harmony.
"I hope that no one of them will deviate from this approach," Prof Yunus said during a high-level meeting held on the overall law-and-order situation in view of the upcoming 13th parliamentary election and the referendum on the implementation of the July National Charter.
Feb-12 polls must be fair, with no room for bias: Prof Yunus
The meeting, chaired by Prof Yunus, was held at the Chief Adviser’s office.
After the meeting, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam briefed reporters at the Foreign Service Academy.
Advisers Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Abdul Hafiz, and National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman were, among others, present at the meeting.
The Chief Adviser said the government would fully support the Election Commission (EC) so that Bangladesh can proudly say it has conducted a fair election.
“This is a major challenge for the nation. We must take it on, complete this enormous task, and turn it into a historic achievement,” he said.
Prof Yunus emphasised the need to ensure that nothing is lacking on election day and that there are no glitches anywhere on February 12.
He said the 2026 election should set a benchmark for future elections in the country. “The EC’s instructions are now the most important directives. Everyone must work together in strict accordance with them,” Prof Yunus said.
He said the Ministry of Home Affairs will play the lead role in maintaining law and order.
Body cameras and CCTV cameras will be used, and all activities will be monitored from a central control room, he said.
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Prof Yunus stressed the importance of seamless coordination among all forces involved in carrying out election duties.
He said a large number of journalists from home and abroad will cover the election, while domestic and international observers have shown strong interest.
EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told the meeting that 51 out of 59 registered political parties are participating in this year’s election.
He said representatives from 26 countries have been invited to observe the polls.
The European Union is expected to send an observer team of around 300 members.
Already, 56 EU representatives are in Bangladesh, and two have observed the appeal process related to nomination papers.
Candidates will be allowed to campaign from midnight tonight until 7:30am on February 10.
Akhtar Ahmed said misinformation in cyberspace poses a major challenge in this election. He added that additional time will be required to count party symbol ballots, referendum ballots, and postal ballots.
He urged the media to play a responsible role to prevent the spread of misinformation and rumors.