The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has decided to launch an intensified drive to arrest criminals and recover illegal weapons starting January 22, the day election campaigning begins for candidates in the upcoming national parliamentary election.

From 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm on that day, senior officials from the DMP headquarters and eight crime divisions will remain in the field to monitor the law and order situation and oversee police operations across the capital.

DMP Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) S. N. Md. Nazrul Islam said the ongoing nationwide operation, known as “Operation Devil Hunt Phase 2,” is aimed at controlling law and order, recovering illegal arms, and suppressing extremist elements. As part of this initiative, DMP will further strengthen its operations in Dhaka from the start of the election campaign to curb criminal activity and ensure public safety.

According to DMP sources, a high-level review meeting on election security and law and order was held at DMP headquarters on Monday. The meeting, chaired by DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md. Sajjat Ali, ran from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and was attended by officers ranging from police station chiefs to deputy commissioners of crime divisions, along with senior officials from headquarters.

Several key directives were issued at the meeting, including strict instructions that no police officer may show support for any candidate, and that on-duty officers are prohibited from accepting food or hospitality from candidates. Police personnel have been instructed to remain fully neutral to ensure a fair voting process, with warnings of strict action in case of any violation.

Senior officials said the highest priority is being given to the security of polling stations in Dhaka. From January 22, specialized units including the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit and the Detective Branch (DB) will be deployed to conduct robust operations against criminals and illegal arms. Officers from assistant commissioner level up to additional commissioners will be present in the field daily during the designated hours to supervise operations.

Police officials will also proactively gather intelligence to prevent any obstruction to voters at polling centers and respond quickly if problems arise.

Security planning has categorized polling centers into two groups: sensitive and general. Of the total 2,131 polling centers in Dhaka, 1,828 have been identified as sensitive and 303 as general. Around 25,000 police personnel will be deployed at these centers.

In addition to police, each polling station will have 10 Ansar members and one armed assistant section commander. Another armed Ansar member will be assigned to protect the presiding officer at each center. Responsible officers have been instructed to conduct advance field inspections of polling centers, collect security-related information, and submit verified reports to the DMP commissioner.

The meeting also decided that around 3,000 vehicles will be requisitioned in the capital three to four days before polling day. These vehicles will be used to transport election materials, facilitate the movement of judicial magistrates on duty, and support police patrol activities.

The DMP said all measures are aimed at ensuring a secure, orderly, and impartial environment ahead of and during the election.