Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Saturday said the government will deploy special law enforcement forces for nine days around the upcoming national election.

Speaking at Patuakhali Circuit House, he said the security coverage will span five days before the polls, election day, and three days after, with the duration subject to adjustment depending on the situation.

According to the adviser, 30,000 army personnel are currently on duty. During the election, around 100,000 army members will be deployed, along with 35,000 Border Guard Bangladesh personnel, 5,000 from the navy, 4,000 from the coast guard, nearly 8,000 Rapid Action Battalion members and about 550,000 Ansar personnel.

He said Ansar will play a major role this year and will be equipped with weapons and body cameras.

“There is no room for doubt regarding security. The election will be held peacefully,” he added.

After the briefing, the adviser inspected Patuakhali Police Lines and the Coast Guard station before departing for Kuakata.

No controversial officer to lead election duties: IGP

No police officer with a controversial background will be assigned to leadership roles during the upcoming national election, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam said on Friday. “The list of controversial officers is being prepared. SPs and DIGs of the respective districts are identifying them,” he told reporters at the Khulna Metropolitan Police Lines after attending an internal training programme.

The IGP said people across the country are eager to vote and the interim government is committed to ensuring a free, impartial and credible election.

Referring to past controversies, he said the police are undergoing extensive training to avoid mistakes seen in previous national polls.

“Some members of Bangladesh Police deviated from their duties—or were compelled to make mistakes—in the last three elections. This time, training is focused on correcting those errors. Our members are motivated to help deliver a credible election,” he said.

He acknowledged criticism surrounding the elections of 2014, 2018 and 2024 and said the force aims to avoid “bad practices, malpractices and biases” to support the interim government’s pledge of holding the most credible election yet.

On countering terrorism, the IGP said the force does not want to rely on crossfire but will uphold the rule of law by bringing offenders before the court.

“Policing cannot succeed through police efforts alone. Every individual in society is a source of our strength,” he added.

Addressing cyber risks ahead of the polls, he said law enforcement remains vulnerable. “Some people are making anything viral on social media using AI. We report it to the BTRC, which informs Meta. Sometimes Meta removes about 40 percent of such content, but not all. We have limitations.”

Khulna Metropolitan Police Commissioner Zulfiqar Ali Haider, Khulna Range DIG Md Rezaul Karim and senior officials from Khulna Division were present.