United News of Bangladesh

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Monday (January 19, 2026) said some 8,97,117 members of law enforcement agencies will be deployed during the national election to ensure security. The adviser disclosed the information while talking to reporters after a meeting of the Core Committee on Law and Order at the Secretariat. A total of 42,761 polling centres will be set up for the election. Of them, 8,780 centres have been identified as highly risky while 16,548 as risky and 17,433 as general centres, he said. Some 25,000 body-worn cameras will be used at highly vulnerable and risky polling centres, while preparations are underway to install CCTV cameras at every polling centre, said the adviser. Read more: EC unveils fresh roadmap for Feb-12 election To maintain law and order during the election, forces will be deployed across the country in two phases. The deployment in the first phase will continue as it is. In the second phase, deployment will be based at polling centers for seven days from February 8 to 14, he said. The overall security coordination will remain under the supervision of the respective returning officers, Jahangir Alam added.Alongside the police, Ansar and VDP members, Army, Navy, Air Force, BGB, Coast Guard and RAB members under ‘in aid to civil power’ will be deployed during the election. Besides, law-and-order coordination cells will be formed at both central and local levels with members from police, BGB, RAB, Coast Guard and members of armed forces ahead of the election, he said. Special teams will be formed under the national emergency service number 999 and linked to the coordination cells. All complaints received will be forwarded immediately to the Home Ministry and the relevant local coordination cells, he said. Noting that law enforcement personnel are being trained for election duty for the first time, the adviser said the training will be completed by January 20. To strengthen surveillance, 418 drones will be used during the election, operated jointly by the Army, Navy, Police, BGB, Coast Guard, RAB and Ansar. Dog squads of different forces will also be deployed. Read more: Police must remain 100% neutral during elections: Home Adviser Besides, ‘Surokkha’ app, developed by the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC), will play the most effective role in election security management. Through the app, law and order-related complaints will be received instantly and prompt action will be taken, said the adviser. The government has taken a decision to use Air force helicopters to transport ballots and election materials to the remote and char areas, he said. Beside, instructions have been given to quickly arrest those who tried to obstruct the election, while intensive patrolling will be carried out across the country for four days ahead of the polls, said Jahangir. Referring to the progress of Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2, the adviser said 19,854 people were arrested between December 13 and January 17. Read more: EC set to sit with political parties Tuesday over postal ballots During this period, 346 firearms, 2,191 rounds of bullets, 722 cartridges and a large quantity of illegal arms and explosives were recovered, he said. Any attempt to obstruct the election or deteriorate the law and order situation will be dealt with strictly, he said.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam on Saturday (January 10, 2026) said police personnel deployed at high-risk polling centres during the next national election will be equipped with body-worn cameras to help prevent violence and ensure transparency. “There are around 24,000 risky polling centers across the country. Police personnel assigned to these centers will be provided with body-worn cameras so that no violence or chaos can occur. Through these cameras, everything can be monitored,” he said. The IGP made the remarks after attending a special welfare meeting with police officers and members of various units of the Rangpur Metropolitan Police and district police in the afternoon. The IGP also sought cooperation from the public in carrying out police duties effectively. EC to start disposing appeals against decisions on nomination papers Referring to the flow of arms, he said illegal weapons are being seized gradually, although it is not possible to recover all of them at once. Baharul Alam said police personnel across the Rangpur division remain fully committed to ensuring a free, fair, and festive election, noting that the Election Commission has taken initiatives to conduct the polls peacefully. “It is our responsibility to maintain stability and create a suitable environment for the elections. All members of the Rangpur Range and Rangpur Metropolitan Police are determined to ensure full security,” he added. He further said the police will not be working alone during the election. On polling day, around six lakh Ansar members will be deployed alongside police forces. In the pre-election period, members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and other defense forces are also assisting law enforcement. 645 appeals filed with EC against decisions on nomination papers Besides, the Border Guard, Coast Guard, and Navy are working in coastal areas to control criminal activities. Rangpur Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Aminul Islam, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Majid Ali, superintendents of police from eight districts of the division, and other senior police officials were present at the event.

All preparations have been taken for the upcoming national parliamentary elections, said Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Monday (December 08, 2025). “All necessary preparation including training for law enforcement agencies, purchase of body-worn cameras and ensuring electricity at every polling station have been taken,” he said. The Home Adviser came up with the remarks while briefing reporters after the 17th meeting of the Advisory Council Committee on law and order, held at the Secretariat. Read more: National election will be a major test for law enforcers: Adviser Touhid “Training is essential for carrying out any preparation effectively. There is no alternative to proper training. We are continuing training programmes for law enforcement personnel to ensure a free, fair, safe and acceptable election. These will be completed by January,” Jahangir Alam said. “This year, the voting hours have been extended by one hour from 7:30am to 4:30pm which means the counting will continue even after sunset, so we are making arrangements to ensure uninterrupted electricity at all polling centers,” he added. Responding to a question about the killing of a police officer’s parents in Rangpur, the adviser said instructions have been given to arrest the perpetrators soon and bring them under the law. Regarding the recovery of looted firearms, Jahangir Alam said the process is underway. Asked about ensuring a level playing field for the election, the adviser said the government is committed to ensuring a free and fair election. Referring to the Jatiya Party’s allegation, the adviser said, “It is not correct and there are some internal disputes among them.” Read more: Election schedule soon as request made for recording CEC’s address

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has instructed the authorities concerned to immediately procure adequate body-worn cameras for law enforcement agencies to ensure a transparent, peaceful and secure national election. He issued the directive during a meeting held at the state guesthouse Jamuna in the capital on Tuesday. Home Affairs Adviser Lt. Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Special Assistant to Chief Adviser (Telecom and ICT) Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Home Secretary Nasimul Ghani, Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam and representatives from various concerned agencies, among others, attended the meeting. “We must complete all necessary preparations promptly to conduct a fair and peaceful election. It is important to build public confidence so that voters feel they have a safe and enabling environment to exercise their voting rights,” the CA said. Govt okays procurement of 40,000 body cameras for police use during polls Prof Yunus instructed that the procurement process and related training be completed by December to prevent election-period violence or any untoward incidents effectively. Alongside strengthening law enforcement capability, he stressed the need for establishing a robust framework to ensure no one can exploit the situation during the polls. Taiyeb informed the meeting that preliminary training of police personnel has already started with existing body-worn cameras in stock. EC declines responsibility for CCTV camera installation at polling stations Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam said police officers in every district will be given training once the new cameras arrive. With the support of body-worn cameras, he said, election-time situations at polling stations will be monitored centrally, as well as from each police station and district Superintendent of Police offices.