The Election Commission (EC) is considering deploying around eight lakh law enforcement officials, including approximately 90,000 to 1 lakh members of the Army, for eight days around the upcoming National Election, officials said on Monday.
“The armed forces will be deployed in the upcoming national elections as they have been in the past, in aid to civil power,” EC Senior Secretary Md Akhtar Hossain told reporters following a preparatory meeting on law and order held at the EC headquarters.
In addition to Army personnel, there are proposals to deploy 150,000 police officers and around 550,000 Ansar members for election duties. This proposal will now be reviewed, said the EC secretary.
The meeting was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, with all four Election Commissioners in attendance. Additionally, the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Secretary of the Election Commission, and representatives from law enforcement agencies also participated in the meeting.
According to sources, during the meeting, law enforcement agencies expressed concerns about the potential spread of misinformation through artificial intelligence (AI) and social media. They warned that such misinformation could become a significant barrier to holding a fair election.
Additionally, a security agency raised concerns about the overall law and order situation, including the possibility of black money being spread through various channels, sources revealed.
The sources further mentioned that the Election Commission has instructed all law enforcement agencies to coordinate their efforts. It was also emphasised that no secret orders will be issued by the EC.
Monday’s meeting was an initial discussion, and subsequent meetings will be held under the leadership of Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah.
Typically, such meetings are held after the election schedule is announced. However, due to special circumstances, this preliminary meeting was held much earlier than usual, the sources said.
Following the meeting, EC Senior Secretary Md Akhtar Hossain told reporters that discussions had taken place regarding the planning for the security of polling stations, polling officers, and the overall security of the election areas, including the numerical distribution of polling centres and the country’s security at large.
The EC Secretary further mentioned that the meeting also addressed the control of illegal weapons and the security of foreign journalists and observers.
In response to a question about the military’s role with magistracy powers on the ground and whether armed forces would have civil powers during the upcoming election, the EC Secretary stated, “This is under discussion. We will ensure that this does not conflict with the Representation of the People Order.”
When asked whether the law enforcement agencies foresee any risks related to the election, the EC Secretary stated that the election timeframe is defined from the announcement of the schedule to the publication of the gazette. He clarified that the scope of their discussion had been limited to this period. “At this moment, there was no opportunity to discuss the rest, and we did not do so.”
He further added, “We did not observe any concerns among them. Rather, we saw their commitment to conducting a good election. They are providing us with the maximum support possible.”
The EC Secretary emphasised that no one expressed any concerns. “There was no reason to express any fear here.”
Asked whether the environment is conducive to holding elections, Akhtar Ahmed replied, “Absolutely, the environment is suitable for holding elections, and today’s discussion is aimed at further consolidating that environment. This will continue.”
