Army ready for election duty, awaits EC directives

The Bangladesh Army has confirmed its readiness to carry out duties related to the upcoming national parliamentary elections, scheduled for February. While the government has already communicated its intentions, the army is still awaiting formal instructions from the Election Commission (EC).

Colonel Md. Shafiqul Islam, Director of Military Operations at Army Headquarters, shared the update during a press conference held Monday afternoon at the Officers’ Mess in Dhaka Cantonment.

"The army will assist in ensuring a free, fair, and neutral election once we receive the official directive from the Election Commission," said Col. Shafiqul. “We are fully prepared and expect to receive the commission’s instructions shortly.”

In response to media queries, the colonel clarified that the army's involvement is contingent upon a formal request from the EC. “Once we get the directive, we’ll deploy accordingly. Our internal preparations are already in place,” he added.

When asked about the upcoming Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) elections and whether the army would intervene to curb misinformation being spread on social media, Col. Shafiqul made it clear: “The army has no involvement in the DUCSU elections. We have previously stated through the ISPR that the army is not connected to this process. Nonetheless, certain vested groups are trying to spread propaganda, but such attempts are unlikely to succeed.”

Addressing concerns over misleading posts allegedly shared by retired military officials online, he said, “People are aware of their intentions. This type of propaganda holds no weight. The government will take necessary measures to address the issue.”