Seven warships to be deployed during election: Navy Chief

Seven warships will be deployed in coastal and maritime areas during the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election, with around 5,000 navy personnel assigned to election duty, Navy Chief Admiral M Nazmul Hasan has said.

He disclosed the information while speaking to journalists after inspecting the Kutubdia contingent in Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday (February 4) at around 11:30am.

The navy chief said that to strengthen security in coastal and maritime regions, 5,000 navy personnel have been deployed across 25 upazilas under 16 parliamentary constituencies. In addition, seven warships will remain on round-the-clock patrol in coastal waters and the deep sea.

He said the armed forces would remain cooperative and respectful towards voters. However, strict action would be taken against anyone attempting to disrupt the electoral environment through terrorism or disorder.

Admiral M Nazmul Hasan also said questions had been raised over the role of law enforcement agencies in previous elections. Learning from those experiences, maximum efforts are being made this time to ensure a free, fair and peaceful election.

Earlier, the navy chief attended a briefing with the divisional commissioner and senior police officials on election-time law and order arrangements.