Military Stands Ready for Election Duties

Bangla Press Desk:   Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman has clearly outlined two responsibilities and objectives for the Army and all stakeholders involved in the election.

The first is that, in the interest of a free and fair election, the Bangladesh Army will be ready to provide any necessary support to the civil administration and law-enforcement agencies involved in the election process.

The second is to build public confidence in the election and to send a clear message that the Government of Bangladesh, the Election Commission, law-enforcement agencies, and the armed forces are all united and determined to organize a free, fair, and credible election.

He made these remarks yesterday morning at the National Football Stadium in Gulistan during an exchange of views with all election-related stakeholders on the occasion of the 13th National Parliamentary Election and Referendum–2026. At that time, he also inspected the army camp set up at the stadium.

During the meeting, it was stated that on election day and in the post-election period, military helicopters and watercraft will be kept ready to transport election personnel or materials to hazardous and remote polling centers if required. Helicopters from all forces will be deployed at various locations across the country to ensure the fastest possible response in any emergency.

After the meeting, detailed information was presented at a press conference held at the Roller Skating Complex in Gulistan by Brigadier General Dewan Mohammad Manjur Hossain, Director of the Military Operations Directorate at Army Headquarters.

Additionally, a press release from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that during the coordination meeting, the Army Chief placed special emphasis on carrying out duties with professionalism, neutrality, discipline, patience, and citizen-friendly conduct. He also personally observed the activities of army personnel deployed “in aid to the civil power” and provided necessary guidance.

At the press conference, Brigadier General Dewan Mohammad Manjur stated that 100,000 army personnel are ready in the field to ensure a peaceful and fair 13th National Parliamentary Election—nearly two and a half times more than in previous elections. Alongside them are large numbers of personnel from the police, RAB, BGB, Navy, and Air Force.

To ensure voter safety at polling centers and the security of ballot boxes, the armed forces will be prepared to take any necessary strict measures. The entire situation will be monitored around the clock from Army Headquarters in Dhaka.

In response to a question, he said that all election-related threat assessments have been conducted and army deployments have been made accordingly. Continuous patrols will be maintained so that ordinary citizens can come to polling centers without fear. For this reason, upazila-based and, in some cases, polling-center-based camps have been established this time.

The armed forces are also fully prepared to deal with any post-election violence. The Army Chief has clearly stated that duties will be carried out with complete neutrality. One of the main responsibilities is to ensure that citizens can freely and safely go to polling centers and exercise their voting rights. If excessive force becomes necessary in any situation, it will be applied strictly in accordance with the law. To ensure a fair election, the army stands ready to take all lawful measures alongside law-enforcement agencies.

Brigadier General Manjur added that a 24/7 monitoring cell has been set up at Army Headquarters to ensure coordinated operations. Security apps are being used at high-risk polling centers, while police personnel will have body-worn cameras. Law-enforcement agencies will also use drones and other technologies to respond to any situation as quickly as possible.

He noted that in previous elections, a maximum of 40,000–42,000 personnel were deployed as striking forces and were stationed at distant locations. This time, 100,000 army personnel have been deployed, and for the first time, permission has been given to patrol up to the polling center premises.

Keeping voter convenience in mind, the Army Chief has deployed only the minimum necessary number of troops at camps and assigned the rest directly to election duties. Army personnel are working tirelessly to restore public confidence, conducting day-and-night patrols.

Brigadier General Dewan Mohammad Manjur Hossain further stated that in addition to the 100,000 army personnel, 5,000 Navy members and 3,730 Air Force members are deployed in the field.

The Army has set up a total of 544 temporary camps across 411 upazilas in 62 of the 64 districts, as well as in metropolitan cities, conducting regular patrols, joint operations, and checkpoints. Weapon recovery operations are also ongoing.

In the last 14 days since January 20, nearly 150 weapons have been recovered, most of them locally and foreign-made pistols. Through regular joint operations, large quantities of weapons and ammunition are being seized. So far, the Bangladesh Army has recovered 10,152 weapons, 291,000 rounds of ammunition, and arrested 22,282 identified terrorists and criminals, handing them over to the police.

Calling misinformation and disinformation the biggest threat to this election, Brigadier General Manjur said the challenge has been intensified by the use of artificial intelligence (AI). With just a person’s face, fabricated videos can now be created.

He appealed to journalists for help in countering this propaganda, stating that timely, factual, and evidence-based reporting by mainstream media can play a major role in preventing misinformation.

In response to a question about whether the 1,331 weapons looted during the July uprising that have not yet been recovered pose a risk to the upcoming election, he said that continuous operations are underway to recover the missing weapons. Fifteen weapons were recovered in the last 24 hours alone, and on average, 2,000 to 2,500 patrols are being conducted daily. Joint operations are ongoing, and the army is fully prepared to ensure a peaceful election.

When asked how long the army will remain deployed in the field, he said that the army was deployed by government decision, and the duration of deployment will also be determined by the government. Source: daily Sun

BP/TD