For the 13th parliamentary election, the Election Commission will rely on military helicopters to deliver election materials to 11 remote polling centres in Bandarban, underscoring the enduring logistical challenges of voting in the hill district.
According to officials at the Bandarban District Election Office, flight schedules for the helicopter sorties have been finalised after coordination meetings with the relevant authorities. The operation will transport polling officials, ballot boxes and ballot papers to areas that remain beyond the reach of conventional road access.
Under the plan, all election materials and personnel will be airlifted to the designated centres by 11 February, a day ahead of polling. The centres identified for helicopter support are spread across several upazilas, reflecting the geographical isolation that continues to define parts of the district.
In Thanchi upazila’s Remakri Union, helicopter deliveries will serve Dalian Para Government Primary School, Remakri Bazar Government Primary School, Boro Modok Government Primary School and Choto Modok Bazar Government Primary School. In Tindu Union, the centres include Gripping Para Government Primary School, Chaithoaihla (Chai Thoai Hla) Karbari Para Non-Government Primary School and Jinna Para Non-Government Primary School.
Additional centres requiring air support are Pakniar Para Government Primary School and Chinglok Para Government Primary School in Remakri Prangsa Union of Ruma upazila, Komchong Yungcha Mawrum Para Government Primary School in Kurukpata Union of Alikadam upazila, and Ronin Para Government Primary School in Sadar Union of Roangchhari upazila. Election officials assigned to these centres have already been notified of the helicopter arrangements.
The final voter list shows that the 11 centres together serve 12,400 voters, including 6,022 women and 6,378 men.
Reh Hla Moung, a resident of Thanchi, said such air support has been necessary since the early 1990s, including during the 1991 parliamentary election. Despite decades of development initiatives, he noted, road connectivity has yet to reach the catchment areas of these polling centres, leaving helicopters as the only viable option for ensuring the right to vote in some of Bandarban’s most remote communities.
