Election Commission secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Thursday said that the commission was finalising presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers for over 42,000 polling centres nationwide.
The EC on Thursday held an inter-ministerial meeting with government ministries and agency heads to finalise preparations for the 13th parliamentary elections slated for February 2026.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Akhtar also said that one of the major issues discussed was the condition of polling centre infrastructure.
He said that most centres were in schools and colleges, many of which required repair works, and that relevant departments, including the Local Government Division, the engineering wings of education authorities, and the Roads and Highways Department, had been instructed to complete renovations to roads, boundary walls, doors and windows by mid-January.
He said that staff would be drawn from schools, colleges, and state-owned banks, with a standard operating procedure in place to ensure impartiality.
The meeting focused on ensuring a fair, orderly and festive voting process, covering key areas, including the deployment of polling staff and magistrates, infrastructure and logistics readiness, security measures, voter awareness campaigns, the use of technology and postal voting, and cost-effective budget management.
The EC secretary said that in previous elections, executive magistrates had often faced delays in reaching their posts after the election schedule was announced, which had hindered enforcement of the electoral code of conduct.
He said that the commission instructed executive magistrates to commence duties at full capacity from the outset, and the law ministry had been requested to assign adequate numbers of judicial magistrates through the Judicial Service Commission.
The EC secretary said that ensuring smooth and safe access to polling centres remained a priority.
He said that helicopter services from the Air Force, Army, or other agencies would be used to transport election materials and officials to remote and hilly areas, with local administrations identifying and preparing suitable helipads.
The EC secretary said that reliable electricity supply would be ensured, particularly for late counting in remote areas, and that the health ministry had been asked to form medical teams to handle emergencies.
Routine restrictions on vehicle and boat movement would be enforced for security, and the home ministry has been directed to keep the Fire Service alert for any incidents, he said.
Akhter said that the EC was taking proactive steps to counter misinformation, with an Election Commission cell ensuring timely dissemination of accurate information, and that AI tools might be deployed to detect and counter false content in real time.
He said that postal voting would be introduced for expatriates, government employees working outside their constituencies and those in lawful custody, with a trial application already under testing and the official launch scheduled for November 16.
The EC secretary also said that the commission reviewed the proposed election budget covering campaign activities, logistics, vehicle requisition, and field-level purchases such as fuel, and that a cost-effective approach would be followed, prioritising government-owned vehicles to reduce additional requisitions.
The EC also sought information from the Bangladesh Bank regarding loan defaulters, which the central bank was compiling.
Akhter said that the commission was coordinating with the education ministry to avoid clashes with major examinations, such as Secondary School Certificate and Higher Secondary Certificate, as well as Ramadan, the month of fasting of the Muslims, to ensure maximum participation and a smooth election process in February 2026.
