Proposals have been made to deploy law enforcement officials for eight days centring the upcoming National Election, Election Commission Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said today (20 October).

Speaking to reporters after a preparatory meeting on law and order held at the EC headquarters, the secretary said, "Initially, the Election Commission planned to keep law enforcement deployed for five days during the election. However, it was proposed to extend that to eight days during today's meeting. This proposal will now be reviewed."

"There is certainly an environment conducive to holding the election. Around 90,000 to 100,000 members of the Army, 150,000 police personnel, and approximately 550,000 Ansar members will be deployed for election duties," said the EC secretary.

He added that final decisions on deployment duration and logistics will depend on the election budget.

When asked about the overall security situation, EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said law enforcement officials had not expressed any concern and that the security environment remains satisfactory.

Regarding the recovery of stolen weapons, he said 85% of the looted arms have been recovered, and efforts are ongoing to recover the remaining ones.

The 13th national election is expected to be held in the first half of February, before Ramadan, while the election schedule will be announced in early December.

In the 12th national election, the armed forces were deployed for eight days, with an additional five days allotted for travel and coordination. In the 11th parliamentary polls, law enforcement personnel had been deployed for 10 days.

Ahead of the upcoming National Election, the Election Commission (EC), led by AMM Nasir Uddin, held a meeting with various law enforcement agencies to finalise security strategies and discuss measures to ensure a free, fair, and peaceful voting environment.

The meeting was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin and attended by four election commissioners, the home secretary, and representatives from various law enforcement agencies.

Law enforcement to act in three phases

During the meeting, the EC emphasised preventing the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) during the election period. It also noted that although drone technology can aid in modern surveillance, its use will be restricted due to several operational concerns.

The meeting reviewed the law enforcement action plan, which will be implemented in three phases — before, during, and after the election — to maintain order and prevent violence.

Before the election schedule is announced, the home ministry will take measures to maintain law and order. Authorities will act against identified criminals, terrorists, and potential troublemakers who could disrupt the electoral process. Additional efforts will be made to recover illegal weapons and preserve communal harmony.

After the announcement of the election schedule and until polling day, ensuring peaceful campaigning and voter safety will be the top priority. Law enforcement agencies will take steps to ensure that candidates can campaign freely and voters can cast their ballots without fear, said the EC secretary.

Security forces will also prevent the entry of suspicious outsiders into polling areas. Police, Ansar, and village police will be deployed for polling center security, while RAB, BGB, Armed Police Battalion, Coast Guard, and striking forces under judicial and executive magistrates will patrol and respond to emergencies.

The EC said that all agencies will work under a comprehensive coordination framework to ensure that the upcoming general election is peaceful, credible, and participatory.

Election Commission / National election