Advisers Say Officials from Past Three Elections Will Not Be Assigned Roles in Upcoming Polls

Lieutenant General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Adviser to the Ministry of Home Affairs, has stated that officials who served in the last three national elections (2014, 2018, and 2024) will not be given responsibilities in the upcoming election. He added that the government will avoid assigning them roles as much as possible to ensure fairness.

Speaking to journalists on Sunday morning at the Home Ministry conference room after a meeting of the law-and-order core committee, the adviser also addressed other election-related issues.

Regarding inquiries about military officers facing arrest warrants in three cases at the International Criminal Tribunal, he said their trials will follow proper legal procedures. On questions about the need for a “safe exit,” he remarked, “I live in the country, my children live in the country; I have no need for a safe exit.”

On election preparations, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said district commissioners (DCs), police superintendents (SPs), upazila executive officers (UNOs), and officer-in-charge (OC) officials have been instructed to ensure a free, fair, and impartial election at the field level.

He emphasized that any individual or group attempting to create disorder during the election will be identified and strictly dealt with under the law. Law enforcement and election officials have been instructed to strictly avoid any illegal activities.

To ensure security at vulnerable polling stations, CCTV cameras will be installed and effective monitoring systems implemented. Adequate body-worn cameras will also be provided for law enforcement and election-related personnel.

The adviser said the training of law enforcement personnel for election duties will be completed as quickly as possible. Around 150,000 police officers are undergoing election-related training across 28 batches in 130 venues nationwide, including districts, metropolitan areas, and training institutions. One batch of 6,500 personnel has already completed training, while another batch of 6,500 is ongoing. Training for all batches is expected to finish by January 15.

Additionally, 585,000 members of the Ansar-VDP force will be trained, including 135,000 armed personnel and 450,000 unarmed personnel. Training is scheduled to conclude by mid-January, after which Ansar battalion members will serve as a striking force during the national parliamentary election. For this purpose, 3,157 recruit sepoys are being trained.

For the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), 33,000 personnel in 1,100 platoons will be deployed, with 60% already trained. Adviser Chowdhury hopes training will conclude by December 31. In total, around 80,000 armed forces personnel will be mobilized for this election.

He also commented on political and law-and-order developments, noting that the hastily organized marches by the Awami League’s fringe groups have significantly decreased. The law-and-order situation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is currently under control. He added that some attempts were made by fringe elements to disrupt Durga Puja celebrations, including incitement by certain intellectuals, but these plots were thwarted through active measures by law enforcement.