Govt urges to avoid unauthorised rallies after poll schedule announcement

The government has urged everyone to refrain from holding any illegal or unauthorised rallies and demonstrations once the schedule for the upcoming national election is announced in the next few days.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Home Ministry on Tuesday afternoon (December 9) under the directive of the Chief Adviser.

According to a press release from the government’s Press Wing, ensuring that the 13th national election—scheduled for the first half of February—is free, fair, neutral, acceptable, and festive is the government’s top priority. All preparations are being focused on this objective.

Following the announcement of the election schedule, members of the Armed Forces and all law enforcement agencies will work to maintain a secure electoral environment. Nearly 900,000 personnel will be deployed—marking the highest such deployment to date. Additionally, a record 150,000 police personnel have already received election-related training.

The government stated that any unauthorised gatherings or demonstrations causing public inconvenience will be strictly controlled from the moment the schedule is announced until the election. Those participating in illegal assemblies will face legal action.

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said that while many groups have legitimate demands—over 2,000 protests were held in the past 18 months—the government has always responded positively and sought solutions through dialogue. “But we are now entering an election-focused period,” he said.

“We urge everyone to present their demands to the post-election government. We hope no one will create tension or disrupt the normal environment during this crucial time,” he added.