9 lakh troops, drones and dog squads to be deployed during polls: Home Adviser

A total of 897,117 members of law enforcement agencies will be deployed for the 13th National Parliamentary Election, including 100,000 personnel from the Bangladesh Army, along with drones and dog squads, according to the home adviser.

Home Adviser Lieutenant General Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, retired, shared the information after the 20th meeting of the Advisory Council Committee on Law and Order at the Secretariat on Monday. The meeting was held under his chairmanship.

He said the deployment would include 100,000 army personnel, 5,000 navy members, 3,730 air force personnel including 1,250 on ground duty, 149,443 police officers, 576,314 members of Ansar and Village Defence Party, 37,453 Border Guard Bangladesh personnel, 3,585 coast guard members, 7,700 RAB personnel, and 13,390 members from the Fire Service and Civil Defence as support forces.

The adviser said the meeting reviewed the overall law and order situation, security deployment for the upcoming election, the election coordination cell, measures to ensure a free, fair, neutral, peaceful, credible and festive election, progress of Operation Devil Hunt Phase 2, recovery of illegal and looted weapons, and anti-narcotics operations.

He said the interim government is committed to holding a free, fair, neutral, peaceful and acceptable election, with ensuring public safety as the top priority. The Ministry of Home Affairs is working in a coordinated manner to maintain law and order and provide maximum security.

Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said law enforcement forces would be deployed nationwide in two phases. From polling centre security to mobile and striking force operations, all activities would be coordinated under the authority of returning officers. A circular regarding this was issued by the ministry on January 6.

He said members of the armed forces would be deployed under the ‘in aid to civil power’ provision to assist police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Ansar and VDP, the coast guard and the civil administration. The first phase of deployment is already underway, while the second phase will involve polling-centre-based deployment from February 8 to February 14, with personnel serving for seven days.

An integrated law and order coordination cell will be formed with representatives from the armed forces, police, BGB, coast guard and RAB. A special team linked to the emergency service 999 will operate round the clock and coordinate with the law and order cell to respond swiftly to election-related complaints.

He said there are 42,761 polling centres nationwide, including 8,780 highly important centres, 16,548 important centres and 17,433 general centres. Police will use 25,000 body-worn cameras at highly important and important centres. CCTV cameras will be installed at every polling centre, and preparations are underway. Election-related training for law enforcement agencies will be completed by January 20.

The adviser said 418 drones would be used during the election, including 200 by the army, 16 by the navy, 100 by BGB, 50 by police, 20 by the coast guard, 16 by RAB and 16 by Ansar and VDP. Dog squads will also be deployed to strengthen security.

He added that the ‘Election Security App 2026’, developed by the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre, will play a key role in maintaining law and order. The app will connect law enforcement agencies, returning officers, assistant returning officers and the central control room of the Ministry of Home Affairs to receive complaints instantly and ensure rapid response.

Other measures include the use of air force helicopters to transport election materials and officials to remote areas, intensified patrols in the four days before polling, special operations to arrest troublemakers, recovery of illegal arms, and strict action against any attempts to disrupt or influence the election.

The home adviser said that under Operation Devil Hunt Phase 2, launched on December 13 last year, a total of 19,854 people were arrested by January 17. During the operation, law enforcement agencies recovered 346 firearms, 2,191 rounds of ammunition, 722 cartridges, 694 locally made weapons, grenades, mortar shells, gunpowder, fireworks and bomb-making materials. In total, 53,367 people were arrested through cases and warrants, and the number of checkpoints and patrols has been increased nationwide.