Chief Adviser (CA) Professor Muhammad Yunus on Saturday expressed strong satisfaction with the overall preparations for the upcoming national election and referendum, describing the next week as a critical phase ahead of the February 12 polls.
Speaking at a high-level review meeting at the State Guest House Jamuna, Prof Yunus said ensuring a flawless voting process remains the top priority.
His Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, briefed reporters after the meeting, quoting the Chief Adviser as saying, “We are satisfied. We are very happy,” while stressing that the coming days will be crucial.
Prof Yunus welcomed the peaceful and cordial atmosphere surrounding election campaigning across the country, calling it an encouraging sign for Bangladesh’s democratic culture.
He expressed hope that the polls would be festive, inclusive and secure, allowing citizens, including women and families, to participate freely.
The meeting, chaired by the Chief Adviser, reviewed nationwide election preparations, security arrangements and potential challenges.
Shafiqul said police personnel have been equipped with body-worn cameras, with 25,700 of the country’s roughly 43,000 polling centres now covered by the devices. To assess their effectiveness, Prof Yunus personally spoke with officers wearing body cameras at five randomly selected locations.
In addition, the Election Security App has been fully activated. The platform will allow election officials and security personnel to instantly report disturbances or violence at polling centres, triggering rapid alerts to law enforcement agencies, returning officers and the Election Commission headquarters for swift intervention.
To maintain law and order, nearly 900,000 security personnel will be deployed nationwide. This includes 108,000 members of the armed forces, 37,453 from Border Guard Bangladesh, 3,585 from the Coast Guard, 157,000 police officers, and 567,866 members of the Ansar force.
Due to the death of a candidate in Sherpur, voting will be held in 299 constituencies. A total of 2,029 candidates are contesting the election, including 1,755 from political parties and 274 independents. Among them, 83 are women and 1,946 are men.
Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said the Election Commission has suspended the accreditation process for 10,000 observers proposed by an NGO named Pasha, citing concerns over their capacity.
He added that although no political links were found, an investigation into the matter is ongoing.
