Anyone attempting to disrupt polling stations, engage in vote fraud, hijack ballot boxes, or create chaos during the elections will face full consequences, warned Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Director General (DG) AKM Shahidur Rahman.
He emphasised that law enforcement agencies will strictly adhere to the law, with no risk to them in carrying out their duties.
Speaking at a views-exchange with journalists at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Wednesday, Shahidur Rahman stated, “Anyone trying to disrupt the election process, cast fake votes, hijack ballot boxes, or cause unrest will face the harshest actions. There will be no hesitation in dealing with such individuals. Any risk involved will fall on the lawbreakers.”
The RAB DG revealed that the law enforcement agencies have been working to maintain order since before the election schedule was announced.
He mentioned the ongoing efforts to recover illegal arms and apprehend terrorists. “In the past one-and-a-half to two months, we have seized significant amounts of weapons, and operations have been conducted in various regions, including Cumilla,” Shahidur Rahman said.
Describing the election security measures, he outlined that RAB’s preparation has been divided into three phases, pre-election, election day, and post-election.
“The pre-election phase has been successfully completed. On election day, RAB will serve as striking and mobile forces,” he added, noting that RAB teams have already been deployed across all 64 districts.
The RAB DG also stated that security forces, including the Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, Ansar, and Police, are working in coordination to ensure the election proceeds smoothly.
RAB, in collaboration with Returning Officers, Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, UNOs, and OCs, will be responsible for monitoring and maintaining order at polling stations.
In reference to high-risk polling stations, Shahidur Rahman explained that, based on intelligence reports, certain stations have been categorised as ‘important’ or ‘highly important’.
As a result, fixed security forces have been deployed at these locations, and additional technological resources have been put in place.
Nearly every polling station is now equipped with CCTV, while police are using around 25,700 body cameras. Furthermore, drones, RAB’s dog squad, bomb disposal units, and helicopters have been prepared for emergency response.
On the issue of outsiders and election code violations, Shahidur Rahman reaffirmed that, according to the Election Commission’s directives, the presence of unauthorised individuals at polling stations is prohibited.
“RAB is closely monitoring these issues. If any large-scale financial transactions or attempts to influence voters are detected, immediate action will be taken,” he warned.
He further assured that if any isolated incidents disrupt the voting process, the authorities will take appropriate action.
“If necessary, the Election Commission may suspend or cancel voting at affected polling stations,” he added.
Addressing concerns about militant threats, the RAB DG confirmed that there is no specific intelligence about such risks. However, he assured that RAB remains vigilant and is ready to respond to any potential situation.
“We are confident that the election will be peaceful, fair, and conducted in a manner that is acceptable to all,” Rahman concluded.
