Hospitals across the country are stepping up emergency preparedness ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election, amid official warnings of possible violence linked to political unrest.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has instructed all public and private hospitals to remain on high alert from 10 to 15 February, covering the full election period.
The directive was issued due to concerns over large public gatherings and the risk of election-related injuries, health officials have told TIMES of Bangladesh.
In an order signed by Abu Hossain Md Moinul Ahsan, director of DGHS hospital and clinic branch, authorities directed health facilities to deploy medical teams down to the union level. Ambulances must remain on standby at all times, while emergency departments and 24-hour control rooms are required to stay fully operational.
Under the plan, city corporations will deploy six medical teams each, divisions four, districts three, upazilas two and unions at least one. Hospitals have also been instructed to increase staffing levels if patient numbers rise during the election period.
Hospital heads are required to remain on duty, with any leave subject to prior approval. Emergency services, inpatient care, laboratories, dialysis units and diagnostic services, including CT scans and MRI facilities, must continue operating throughout the period.
Health officials say full readiness is essential, as previous elections have seen sudden spikes in violence, particularly in crowded areas. Hospitals nationwide are therefore preparing for the possibility of increased casualties.
Several hospitals have already taken additional measures, including forming dedicated emergency response teams for election-related incidents. Others have increased staffing and ensured the availability of essential medical equipment.
Officials from three hospitals, speaking anonymously due to privacy concerns, said preparations were under way to ensure healthcare services continue without disruption, given the expected crowds and the risk of political violence.
The heightened alert comes as authorities identify large numbers of vulnerable polling centres across the country ahead of the upcoming 13th parliamentary election and referendum. According to police headquarters, 17,556 of the country’s 42,761 polling centres — about 41% — have been classified as vulnerable.
The assessment was based not only on security risks but also on distance and infrastructure. Polling centres housed in buildings with poor structural conditions were also placed in the important or vulnerable category.
Chattogram, which has seen a recent rise in violence and crime with little sign of improvement, has been placed under heightened security and medical preparedness ahead of the national parliamentary election.
Out of 1,562 polling centres across 13 parliamentary constituencies in Chattogram district and city, 653 have been identified as vulnerable ahead of the national parliamentary election, according to police assessments.
District police have categorised polling centres into general, important and more important, with 345 centres placed in the highest risk category. Separately, the Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) have classified 308 of the city’s 607 polling centres as “extremely important”. These centres cover four city constituencies as well as parts of Hathazari upazila.
As security measures are tightened, health authorities in the district are also increasing medical readiness to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services during the election period.
Jahangir Alam, civil surgeon of Chattogram district, said preparations were already in place at the upazila level following government instructions.
“Ahead of the election, we have received instructions from the government, and preparations have been made at each upazila health complex,” he told TIMES. “Before and after the election, two doctors have been assigned per upazila to work in two shifts, morning and afternoon, for a total of three days.”
Health officials say the measures are aimed at ensuring a rapid response in case of any election-related incidents, while maintaining regular medical services for the public.
In Dhaka, 695 of the capital’s 2,131 polling centres — around 33% — have been marked as highly vulnerable. Overall, more than 85% of polling centres face some form of risk, according to police assessments.
At Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), the country’s largest public hospital, officials said preparations were already under way.
“During elections, hospitals are generally prepared anyway because of the risk of violence,” a senior DMCH official said. “Even so, we are planning a coordination meeting focusing on injury and emergency-related departments so that responses can be faster if any incident occurs.”
DMCH Director Brigadier General Md Asaduzzaman said the hospital was reinforcing its emergency response system ahead of polling day.
“We have a rapid action team,” he said. “Ahead of the election, we will hold a coordination meeting so that emergency management is more effective and we can respond quickly if a situation arises.”
He noted that DMCH often becomes the final destination for patients from major incidents across the capital.
“In practice, patients from any large incident eventually come to Dhaka Medical,” he said, adding that the hospital can treat around 200 patients simultaneously if required.
Emergency equipment and supplies are kept ready at all times, he said. Staffing includes about 500 intern doctors on standby as a first line of response, alongside nearly 200 doctors present at the hospital around the clock.
In Satkhira, 179 of the district’s 609 polling centres have been marked as vulnerable. The civil surgeon of Satkhira District Hospital, Md A Salam, said three medical teams had already been formed at the district level.
Doctors have not yet been posted to upazila hospitals, he said, but each upazila will receive two medical teams once postings are completed. Some field staff will remain on duty, and personnel have been instructed that only assigned staff may work between 10 and 15 February, with mandatory attendance at registration points.
“If any election-related violence occurs, our emergency response arrangements will be activated,” he said.
In Gopalganj, which experienced extensive violence in the recent past, 197 of the district’s 397 polling centres have been classified as highly vulnerable. Jibitesh Biswas, superintendent of the 250-bed Gopalganj General Hospital, said the hospital had taken all necessary steps after receiving instructions from the DGHS.
“We are ready to provide emergency care if there is any election-related violence,” he said.
