The chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, on Tuesday expressed fears that both internal and external forces might attempt to disrupt the forthcoming national election and cautioned that sudden attacks could occur. He said that there are challenges, but they must be overcome.
He made the remarks while presiding over an election preparatory meeting at the state guest house, Jamuna.
Following the meeting, his press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, told reporters that the chief adviser had urged all concerned to 鈥榟ope for the best but prepare for the worst,鈥� emphasising the need for full preparedness for any situation.
The election is expected to be held in the first half of February, with the Election Commission set to officially announce the date around the first week of December, he said.
He said that the chief adviser instructed that key preparatory and foundational tasks should be completed by November 15.
Advisers present at the meeting included home adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, cultural adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, national security adviser Khalilur Rahman, special assistant for national unity and defence Abdul Hafiz, special assistant for ICT affairs Fayez Ahmed Tayeb, principal secretary Mohammad Sirajuddin Mia, EC secretary Akhtar Ahmed, home secretary Nasimul Gani, cabinet secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid, principal staff officer of the armed forces division Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hasan, inspector general of police Baharul Alam, high officials of the Bangladeh Coast Guard and the Rapid Action Batalion, and representatives from the National Security Intelligence and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, among others.
According to the press secretary, the chief adviser said that social media would be used to spread disinformation aimed at sabotaging the election.
鈥楩rom within and outside the country, there will be planned attempts to circulate false and misleading propaganda through social media, including the creation and release of AI-generated images and videos. These will have to be countered immediately so that such disinformation cannot spread,鈥� the press secretary quoted Professor Yunus as saying.
The chief adviser emphasised the need to reach out to the public and raise awareness about electoral guidelines, including polling centre rules, voting procedures, and measures to follow in case of disorder, to ensure that the forthcoming election is smooth and festive, Shafiq said.
He said that the meeting discussed four main issues, including the spread of disinformation on social media, which received prominent attention, as well as administrative postings during the election period, with detailed discussions on related training, the overall security situation, and deployment plans.
The meeting placed special emphasis on ensuring that officials assigned to election duties are appropriately posted, considering their competence and the sensitivity of the electoral area, he said.
It was also underscored that no one who had served in any capacity during the past three elections 鈥� whether as returning officer, assistant returning officer, or polling officer 鈥� should be assigned again, and the EC confirmed that it has already taken steps in this regard, and the relevant agencies briefed the meeting on their progress, he said.
Shafiqul said that security arrangements were also discussed, with the army reporting that around 92,500 personnel from the army and navy would be deployed, assigning one company to each upazila and giving special attention to the 72 hours before and after the election.
He said that there were also discussions on involving local people and volunteers in maintaining order.
Shafiq said that the criteria for postings were discussed in the meeting, stressing that assignments should be made randomly while selecting the most suitable officers based on factors such as physical fitness, performance records, political background, work efficiency, previous postings, and any adverse media reports.
He said that the aim was to deploy the fittest officers in the most vulnerable areas to ensure maximum neutrality and effectiveness.
The meeting also decided that no official should be posted in their own home district or in a district where close relatives, particularly in-laws, reside.
Additionally, postings would avoid areas where officials have family members contesting as candidates. Work on this deployment plan will begin on November 1.
Shafiq said that the home adviser informed the meeting that the security agencies had prepared a list of officers for 64 districts, including 64 superintendents of police, all officers-in-charge of police stations, and additional SPs, specifying their postings and ensuring random allocation with maximum neutrality and impartiality.
He said that around 4,89,000 polling officials, mostly government and some from the private sector, would be deployed, with intelligence agencies ensuring that no one involved in previous elections occupies key positions.
The meeting also decided to form two committees: a Central Coordination Committee to oversee the entire process, with branches extending down to the upazila level, and another Central Committee dedicated to countering disinformation.
This committee would operate under the Election Commission, with units in relevant ministries and at district and upazila levels.